Chapter 105: Feelings
"I’ve been thinking about something ever since the showcase."
"What about?"
"When I saw you in the front row."
Sean remembered immediately.
"The third song."
She nodded.
"I told you I almost lost the choreography."
"You did."
Olivia let out a quiet laugh.
"I didn’t tell you everything."
Sean waited.
"When I saw you..." she began, "...for just one second, everything I’d been terrified of disappeared."
She searched for the right words.
"It wasn’t because you solved anything."
"It wasn’t because you could somehow fix the performance."
She looked down at the city lights.
"It was because you were there."
Her voice had become almost a whisper.
"I’ve never experienced that before."
Sean said nothing.
"I’ve spent years performing in front of crowds."
"I’ve dealt with auditions."
"Competitions."
"Evaluations."
"I’ve always had to calm myself down alone."
She turned to face him.
"But when I saw you..."
A small smile appeared on her lips.
"...I suddenly felt like no matter what happened next..."
"...I’d be okay."
Sean looked at her quietly.
"You still finished the performance."
"I almost didn’t."
"But you did."
Olivia laughed.
"Barely."
She took a slow breath.
Then she looked directly into his eyes.
There wasn’t even the slightest hint of hesitation anymore.
"I told you, back at the Four Seasons, that I was falling for you."
Sean nodded.
"I remember."
"You said you weren’t ready."
"I did."
She smiled softly.
"I’m not asking you to change your answer."
Sean listened.
"I just don’t want to keep pretending I don’t feel this."
She stepped a little closer.
"I’m falling for you, Sean."
There was no embarrassment in her voice.
No uncertainty.
Only honesty.
"I think..." she continued quietly, "...I’ve been falling for you for a while now."
Sean held her gaze.
For several long seconds, he didn’t speak.
Olivia simply waited.
She wasn’t expecting an answer.
She only wanted him to know.
Finally, Sean smiled.
"I’ve been trying not to."
Olivia blinked.
"What?"
He let out a quiet breath, almost laughing at himself.
"I told myself it was too soon."
"I told myself you deserved someone who wasn’t constantly dealing with dangerous people, impossible situations, and problems that never seemed to end."
He looked down for a moment before meeting her eyes again.
"I kept trying to convince myself that keeping a little distance was the smart thing to do."
A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"It didn’t work."
Olivia felt her heart skip.
Sean took one slow step forward until only a few inches separated them.
"Somewhere between those twelve days..."
"...your endless teasing..."
"...you stealing my popcorn..."
"...and watching you on that stage tonight..."
He chuckled softly.
"I realized I’d already lost that fight."
Olivia couldn’t stop smiling.
Sean gently reached up and brushed a loose strand of red hair behind her ear.
"I’m falling for you too."
For a moment, Olivia simply stared at him.
Then she laughed.
Not because anything was funny.
Because she genuinely couldn’t believe she’d just heard him say it.
"You really are?"
Sean smiled.
"I really am."
A tiny tear escaped before she could stop it.
She laughed again, quickly wiping it away.
"I promised myself I wasn’t going to cry tonight."
"I thought you said tonight was about celebrating."
"It is."
She looked at him with a smile so bright it almost outshone the city beyond the windows.
"I’m just... really happy."
Sean slipped his hands gently around her waist.
"You know..."
"I was going to tell you eventually."
Olivia raised an eyebrow.
"When?"
Sean pretended to think.
"Probably after you stopped throwing things at me."
She laughed.
"I only threw bread."
"And popcorn."
"Those were justified."
"So you’re saying I should expect more?"
"If you keep teasing me..."
"...absolutely."
Sean smiled.
"I’ll take that risk."
Olivia closed the last bit of distance between them.
Her hands rested against his chest.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Neither of them needed to.
Then she rose onto her toes and kissed him.
Slowly.
Gently.
Without hesitation.
Sean kissed her back just as softly, his arms tightening around her as she leaned into him.
There was no rush.
No uncertainty.
No fear.
Just the quiet certainty that everything they’d shared over the past twelve days had led them here.
When they finally pulled apart, neither of them moved very far.
Their foreheads rested together.
Their eyes remained closed.
Neither of them spoke.
They didn’t need to.
The silence said everything the words already had.
Then a soft knock came from somewhere deeper inside the suite.
A man in an immaculate black suit appeared a moment later.
"Good evening, Mr. Miller. Miss Olivia," he said with a polite bow. "My name is Daniel. I’ll be your butler this evening."
Sean nodded.
"Welcome."
Daniel smiled professionally.
"The private boutique has already been prepared. If either of you would like to change for the pool, everything has been arranged."
Olivia blinked.
"...You weren’t joking."
"I rarely joke when it comes to planning," Sean replied.
"I’ve noticed."
Daniel gestured toward a hallway.
"If you’ll follow me."
—-------
The boutique looked more like a luxury fashion store than part of a hotel suite.
Designer dresses lined one wall.
Tailored suits occupied another.
Glass displays held jewelry and watches beneath soft lighting.
Farther inside were neatly arranged swimsuits in every style imaginable.
Olivia stopped walking.
"I don’t think I’ve ever been inside a closet worth more than my apartment."
Sean looked around.
"It is a little excessive."
"A little?" Olivia laughed. "Sean, I’m pretty sure one shelf costs more than my car."
Daniel smiled politely.
"Please take as much time as you need. Everything has been prepared for your stay."
He excused himself, leaving the two of them alone.
Olivia slowly walked toward the swimwear section.
"There are... so many."
Sean leaned casually against a display.
"I’ll leave the choosing to you."
She glanced over her shoulder with a playful smile.
"Scared you’ll influence my decision?"
"I learned a long time ago that answering questions like that is dangerous."
She laughed.
--
Author Notes
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