Elise had downed one drink after another, leaving her dazed and caught in a fog of confusion.
Her eyelids felt too heavy to lift, her exhaustion pulling her back into the depths of her dreams. She saw herself on that rainy day at Baden's house, recalling the blurry moments of her drunkenness.
"Do you remember? When I was little and felt sad, and my parents were too busy at work to pay attention to me, I'd go to you, crying, and ask for a comforting hug…" Elise's voice was soft as she confided in him, leaning into his warmth.
She murmured this faintly to him, wrapping her arms around him from behind, kissing him, enticing him, pressing herself against him, not letting him escape her embrace.
This must be a dream, right? It had to be a dream, didn't it?
Especially when, in that dream, he kissed her back—it only reinforced the idea that this was all just a fantasy. She was overthinking it, wasn't she?
She half-opened her hazy eyes, almost seeing Baden's silhouette, and inwardly cursed herself for being so far gone. She turned her head, retreating under the blankets.
She didn't bother trying to figure out where she was—why overthink things in a dream?
Tonight's dreams were all about him. But in the real world, he hadn't contacted her all day. She buried herself in the blankets, tears streaming down her face as the more she thought, the more her heart ached.
Braden had no idea what she was doing, but hearing her soft sobs broke through his rationality. Gently, he pulled the blanket back, his gaze deep and tender.
"Feeling rough from drinking too much?" He held her hand, offering a soft smile. "Don't cry. I'm here."
Elise, eyes red and unspeaking, sat up, still stubbornly believing this was just a dream. After all, only in dreams could she see him being this gentle.
Seeing her unwilling to say anything left him a bit disappointed, feeling like he wasn't important to her. But remembering she'd already shed tears, he couldn't bear to let her feel any more sorrow.
Her eyes were filled with the warmth of his gaze, a sensation that was lovely but fleeting, reminding her that this was a dream where she could craft him to be however she wanted.
So, was the man before her just a beautiful dream?
"Don't cry anymore. I'm right here. I don't want to see you cry." Sitting at her bedside, he ran his fingers through her hair, gently patting her head, his voice warm and full of concern.
"Do you like someone else? Is that why you don't want to be around me…" She abandoned all restraint, hugging him and sobbing, her face flushed. "Is it too late to tell you I like you? I was afraid if I said it, you'd just get even further away. You once told me you'd never like me, so I never dared to tell you. I was scared you'd hate me…"
The sudden confession, raw and unrehearsed, left him unable to think straight. He found it hard to tell if she meant every word or if this was just another illusion brought on by the alcohol.
"But I really do like you. That's why I kept finding excuses to see you. I just wanted to see you because I miss you so much… every day. But I never had the courage to say it out loud…"
His heart ached, but not with sadness. It was the kind of pain that came from wanting to believe every word she said, yet he felt adrift, unsure if she'd remember any of this when she sobered up.
Yet his eyes still reddened, feeling the dampness there. He had no idea what she truly meant with her words, but his heart, which loved her deeply, felt every ounce of joy, sorrow, pain, and bitterness in what she said.
"Can you not leave me? Don't leave me alone…" She clung to him tighter, burying her head in his chest as if searching for solace.
Her helplessness and sadness seeped into her soft cries, as she poured out every hidden thought she had always wanted to tell him.
He decided to stop wrestling with reason. So what if she was drunk? He just wanted to savor this moment, to believe in every word she said, hoping that when she woke up, she wouldn't take any of it back.
"Elise." He softly whispered her name, gently pulling her back to look at her.
She froze, fear filling her as she worried he might actually leave and distance himself from her.
Panic set in, and she gripped his arm even more tightly than he expected, unwilling to let him go no matter what.
"I never wanted to see you cry. All this time, I couldn't bear it." His voice was soft, slow, as gentle as moonlight. "Whether it was when you were a kid, with no one to turn to, or that night after the wedding when you cried about how hurt you were, or that time when I lied and told you I liked you, and you got so mad you cried. Every single time, I hated seeing you sad. Maybe it's in those little moments that my feelings for you grew, slowly building, until I found myself loving you. But I didn't know if you really liked me, and that's why I started to pull away."
"I know I'm being selfish, but I swear I'm not lying. I really like you. I don't want you to leave me…" The moment she spoke, her tears wouldn't stop.
Though it hurt him to see her cry so sorrowfully, he was strangely relieved to see her tears. For so long, he'd struggled to find the right distance to keep between them. All the fear and uncertainty could finally fade away.
"I believe you, so please don't cry. I'm not going anywhere. I'll stay right here with you." He gently wiped away each precious tear from her tear-stained cheeks with his thumb.
She nodded, gave him a soft kiss on the lips, then nestled back into his arms.
Her eyes were still warm with tears, but her heart felt blissfully content.
Whether this was a dream or not, she didn't care. Even if it was just a dream, she wanted to be selfish for once and hope this moment could last a little longer.
She never dared kiss him too much, yet she didn't realize that her every shy move only fueled his desire for her, an unending passion he couldn't suppress.
He leaned down, pressing a deep kiss to the sweet woman who had just bared her feelings for him. He tasted her lips, savoring every drop of her sweetness, even mingling with a hint of her tears.
He thought to himself, a bit amused—she tasted a little salty, but in an oddly endearing way.
"Mmm…" she sighed softly, her arms wrapping around his neck, her cheeks tinted with a delicate blush.
She surely had no idea how irresistible she was at this moment, even less so how her shy voice intoxicated and captivated him completely.
A mischievous thought began to take shape in his mind, wondering when he might get the chance to get her a little tipsy again.
