Chapter 200: I Love You CATHERINE Explain. There he was with that authoritative tone of his. Ares’ eyes searched mine for the unknown, and I knew it then, even though everything fogged. He could see it, but he couldn’t tell what it was. I placed my hand on his cheek, stroking my thumb against it gently, trying to record the feel of his skin. My eyes grew heavy, and I tried to fight it, but the more I did, the more everything blurred. Fatigue was taking over quicker than I expected, and here I thought I could fight it. "I love you." After my parents died, all I had were my grandparents. I don’t remember much of mom and dad, maybe it was my brain trying to save me from more grief. I spent my years growing up and watching the unexplainable love my grandparents had for each other. They were old, yet time had stood still for them. I always wanted something like that, always wished for it, but over the years, I realized not everyone is blessed with that kind of love. As Granny told me, there were different versions of love. I may not have experienced what they shared, but I knew this feeling was real, and I’m done hiding from it. I rubbed the side of the bed, hoping to feel a mass of muscles, but it was cold and empty. I flickered my eyes open in disarray. I sit up, looking around the empty room. There was no sign of Ares. W-Was that a dream? I ran a hand through my hair. It must’ve been. I really thought I actually said those words to Ares. Jesus! I groaned, burying my face in my hands. Really Catherine? You dreamt of a love confession?! What are you? Seventeen?! "I really suck..." I mumbled. The least I could do was just do it, even my subconscious acted quicker than I did. I want to tell him. I’m probably damning everything, but hey, am I not damned already? I have been targeted, injected with some weird shit, manipulated, kidnapped, almost sold by a shit head, and almost killed multiple times. It was like my spirit was trying to tell me I may not have long or I’m just insanely panicking for no reason at all because now I wanna unleash my feelings, it feels like it’s the end of the world! Oh God, can I do this? Can I really do this? I pulled my knees to my chest, unable to push the intense feeling that I might be making the biggest mistake of my life. Suck it up, Catherine Lane! I took the covers off me, my legs finding the warm floor. I tiptoed to the door and opened it, poking my head. No guards. I was hoping to ask where Ares was. I lost my phone, so currently I’m phoneless. Why does that feel way worse? I looked to my right and froze. "Reed?!" He was leaning against the wall, arms folded, and a smile on his lips. I quickly straightened my position. "I didn’t see you there! You’re back from your um... assignment." He pushed off the wall and towered over me. "Yes..." he replied, lingering on the plaster on my neck. I placed my hand against it by instinct. "It’s not that serious, really. The worst is over, it seems." "I heard. I wish I wasn’t away... that I was here." "It wasn’t your fault, Reed," I said, narrowing my eyes when I saw he was eating himself up about this. It screamed all over his face, and he didn’t hide it. I didn’t realize this weighed on him so much. I get he was worried about me, and the news of my kidnapping must have been alarming, but... his response seemed way deeper than that. "I know..." he replied, holding my gaze. "But I should have been here... to protect you." My lips came apart, and the words to say got stuck in my throat before I summoned the strength to speak. "D-Don’t worry, I’m fine, I really am..." "I don’t think you are..." "W-Why would you say that?" "Being with Mr. King... it’s..." He paused. "It comes with risks." "If you’re talking about Ares and the mafia, I know..." Reed blinked. "You do...?" "Yeah, and I admit I was a bit freaked out but..." I hugged myself. "It’s something that I have accepted." "I see... I-I’m glad you know, but..." "But...?" "Nothing, it’s just knowing you, I was expecting a big reaction, you know..." "Right?" I said, amused. "Believe me, I did react. Really, you should have been able to tell... that day at the All Hallows’ Gala... remember?" "Ah, that. You knew then?" "Actually, I had my suspicions, and here we are now." He nodded slowly, and I could tell he had something else to say, but I spoke before he could. "Did um... Ares come around?" I asked, veering my gaze around once more in hopes I could spot him walking through the hallway. Did he really not come by to see me? Reed was yet to reply, so when I settled my attention on him, his mouth hung before he shut it and cleared his throat. "Mr. King... he left early." "Left...?" I blinked. "Yes, he was in your room until this morning." "H-He was?" Reed gave me a puzzled look. "Didn’t you know?" Oh my god! It wasn’t a dream! Before Reed could say anything else, I shut the door in his face, leaned against it, and gripped my hair. "Fuck!" ~☆~ I paced in my room, restless since I found out I had already made a love confession, sleepily, if I might add. Seriously, this is the worst move I have ever pulled off. Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! The door opened, and my heart raced, hoping to see Ares, but it was Tori. Tori paused when she caught the disappointment plastered on my face, looking behind when there was clearly no one there. "Is it just me, or do I smell disappointment? Sorry, I’m not the Devil." My bottom lip trembled, and before I knew it, I was crying as I rushed to hug her. She placed her hands on my back. "And here I thought you weren’t happy to see me." "Shut up!" She giggled and pulled away to see me. "You’re alive and well." "So are you..." I said, but then my smile faded. "Are you okay?" "Yeah, I just got discharged and I have to get ready to leave, but hey, here I am frozen for the last few hours." I gave her my back, nibbling on my nail. "Cat, is something wrong?" "Yes!" I yelled, facing her. "Something is, but I don’t know what!" "What?" "Yes, what...?" Tori shook her head, closing her eyes briefly. "Okay, you’re not making any sense. For me to understand you, you have to—Cat! Stop pacing, will you? You’re transferring whatever you’re under to me. My nerves are gonna break out in hives if you keep doing that!" "How could I not remember what I said?" "Said what?" "I have been in this room for hours ever since I was told Ares stayed the night... a-and then I remember I said it and..." I paused as it felt like my heart was gonna split apart. "I-I think his expression changed, and don’t tell me how I could, I just know!" "Cat!" Tori walked to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. Calm down..." I can’t, I really can’t. "Please calm down and talk to me..." "Tori..." I sobbed. She waited, patient. "I-I said it..." I gulped. "I said I love you." Tori’s expression was blank, and then her face morphed into disbelief. "You did... what?" "I told Ares I love him." Her hand fell from my shoulder, and then she gave me a sad look. "Oh, Cat." "I know I made a big mistake, no... I took a big leap, and I did it clumsily, and now I’m panicking because... Never mind." "Cat!" She called to me as I walked out the door. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶 "Can we leave now?" I said to Reed, and he simply nodded. Tori caught up to me and whispered. "You can’t say stuff like that and hit never mind next. Do you wanna talk about it?" I stopped. "No." "You have to... because you’re having a sugar rush." She leaned close. "Correction: sugar love rush." I punched her arm. "Ow!" "It’s not a..." I darted my eyes to Reed, a few paces from us, and lowered my voice. "A sugar love rush." "Trust me, it is, because what else gave you the courage to say that? I thought the contract mentioned that under no circumstances should you fall in love with him." "I-I know that..." "And?" "Okay, fine! I wasn’t thinking, but I couldn’t hold on anymore, it just got so big to the point it..." I couldn’t finish, but Tori understood me because her eyes softened. "I’m here to see my daughter-in-law." On cue, we turned our heads toward the voice and saw a woman holding a large bouquet. Agatha.