Mend My Heart

Chapter 34

Maya’s P.O.V

My lips opened in an attempt to speak, but the only thing that came out was a strangled squeak. The person found this apparently very funny as they released a throaty albeit brief chuckle. They took steps forward, raking their eyes over the various instruments that decorated from top to bottom. 

“Are you not going to say anything at all?” he asked, brow quirking up in amusement, the ghost of a smile playing at his lips. 

I was so miffed at myself right now for not being bale to act composed. I’d practiced and rehearsed this for days on end in the event that something like this would ever happen…but in hindsight, I never really thought I’d see him again. And as much as I would like to deny it, I was lowkey ecstatic because I could not count how many sleepless nights I had had just imagining something like this happening.

It's time to put my acting skills to use. Exhaling loudly through my mouth, I let an impassive look overtake my facial features and gave him a blank look. “I can’t say I’m not surprised to see you. Are you by any chance looking for a musical instrument? I think the tuba would suit you well,” I said with a sarcastic lilt in my voice.

He came to a stop in front of me, but the only thing standing in his way was the counter. Up close, I could see that he had changed remarkably over the months. For one, his eyes were a brighter shade of blue and they were more beautiful than ever, no more two depths of sorrowful pools. His hair was shorter than I remembered and instead of being styled to the left, it was elegantly combed to the right. Yes, I noticed it since I spent that much time observing him so I know. Don’t judge me.

The contours of his body had grown bulkier, but not in such a way that he could be classified as buff. “Your sarcasm is still refreshing but I know you know that’s not why I’m here,” he clarified firmly, his cobalt irises assessing me slowly. “You’re even more beautiful than I remembered,” he muttered more so to himself than me but I still heard it anyways. 

I would have blushed if it wasn’t for the fact that my skin is more on the darker side, something I was immensely grateful for right now. “W-why? Why are you here?” I splurged out desperately. My life was just beginning to fall into place and now he’d come back to ruin my efforts in realigning it? That was beyond unfair. And yet, my hammering heart says otherwise. 

“I’m back for you,” Theodore pronounced deeply, his elegant voice tickling my ears and evoking such a raw sensation of yearning that it almost toppled me over. He reached his hand out to stoke my cheek gently and I automatically leaned into his touch. No dammit! He can’t just waltz in here and act like he didn’t nearly destroy your life not too long ago!

Regaining my senses, I slapped his hand away before rounding the counter with ferocious steps and came to stand in front of him. “Don’t come in here with your deceptive charm and surreal good looks thinking I’ll fall for that bullshit. You must have fallen and hit your head on the way over here because the last time I recall it was you who didn’t want me in your life!” I snapped in outrage and pointed my fingers at his firm chest, I almost hurt myself in the process.

He caught my hand, probably to stop me from breaking it in half. “Maya, I never said I wanted you out of my life. I didn’t want you to settle for less. You’re too bloody precious for that. I needed to fix myself and only then, would I come back to you. Don’t you remember my last words to you?”

Of course, how could I forget them? Thank you for giving me a reason. I’d pondered long and hard about those cryptic words and I couldn’t, for the life of me, reach a conclusion as to why he had said that to me.