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Her eyes fluttered open. Was Chris her home?
She wondered if this was the reason why her father wanted her to see Chris as more than just a friend. Did he somehow know Chris was her home?
Did Chris feel the same way? All the time she'd caught him looking at her lips, had he wanted to kiss her? Every time he told her what she meant to him, was it more than just friends? And more so, why had she started getting butterflies every time they touched?
She mentally shook her head. She was in love with Xavier. Even thinking romantically about anyone else felt like cheating.
Giselle broke the hug and looked up at Chris, who licked his lips, his eyes red.
He cares so much,she thought, her heart warming,perhaps more than anyone in the entire world.
Chapter 23
Chris's heart threatened to stop as he stared at the woman he loved. She wasn't acting like her usual self as he watched her stare into his eyes. He knew her more than anyone to notice every little change.
He knew that when she genuinely smiled, the corners of her lips didn't twitch down the way they did when she was only being polite.
He knew that when she laughed without a care, her eyes narrowed into slits, and wrinkles formed in the corners.
And he knew that she'd never hugged him like this before.
He let out a shaky breath. No matter how hard he'd tried to walk away from her, he always found his way back. No one held a candle to her, and he knew it because he'd tried looking for her in everyone he met.
She smiled at him, her eyes twinkling, as she placed her soft hand on his cheek. He felt split between going numb and feeling it all at once.
"Thank you for being my home," she said.
Her home?
"What do you mean?" he asked, his voice heavy. He rested his hands on her waist carefully, burning where he touched her.
She smiled. "I don't know. You just feel like home."
He blinked, wanting to say a thousand words, wanting to hold her closer, wanting to kiss her lips. But more than anything, he wanted her to keep going.
"Explain it to me..." said Chris.
"Well," she said, "you're where I find peace. I can just be myself with you, you know? No pretenses, nothing to hide." He slowly pulled her closer as she continued explaining, "Like, somewhere you'd find happiness. Like someone who u-understands..." Her voice cracked and eyes widened, cheeks flushed at the nearness. "You know..."
"I know," said Chris, nodding. "You know why?"
She shook her head.
"Because I have a home, too." He pulled her in till their bodies touched. "You're it, Elle."
She took a shuddering breath and gulped.
Her scent fogged his brain. He wanted to tell her how much he ached for her, what it felt like to be in love with her, and the things he wanted to do to her.
"Chris?" She blinked.
He unconsciously squeezed her waist as his name rolled off her tongue like it was meant to be only on her lips. He stared down at her big eyes. Her mouth parted a little.
How could he be aware of every single pore on his skin?
"Um, my coffee..." She untangled herself from him and turned around to pick up her mug, her hands shaking.
Chris snapped out, his eyes instantly starting to burn, and he let out a shuddering breath. He blinked a few times, gulping the lump in his throat.
