Excerpt

"Hurry and grow up already. I can't wait to make you mine and take you away with me."

He knows that she is supposed to be the same age as him in the present – at least, in the inside, that is. But still, he is treating her as if she really hasn't reached the legal age yet, and he is quite serious about courting her too. In reality, she is almost eighteen-year-old already.

Despite his romantic gestures, she has her doubts. They may have shared a relationship before she went back in time, but with how he kept giving her the cold shoulders back then, they were as good as strangers. Now that she is younger and has less appeal, it will be all the more unlikely for him to develop feelings for her.

"Are you really serious about me…?" she asked with a downcast gaze.

"You're the head of a conglomerate and I'm just an ordinary schoolgirl. Everybody would think that you were only messing around with me – even I do."

"What are you talking about? You're looking down on yourself now of all times…?" he snorted incredulously, disappointed at the thought that his genuine efforts to court her had made her think like that.

"I've told you a million times what I feel about you. I thought we went over this already. Why don't you believe what I say? If I didn't like you, I wouldn't be here with you-"

"You used to play around with girls. You don't like to be tied down, and you hate being committed to somebody. Isn't that why you don't want an official relationship with any woman despite being a huge flirt? You've always been like that. Even before we got to meet each other, you always had the fame of being a heart-breaker."

"So, is that all you have to say?"

He is now talking through clenched teeth and giving her a glare. There are just so many things he wants to say. She really is too stubborn for her own good.

"No. That's not all…" she huffed, not yet finished.

"You can't get mad at me for having insecurities. How am I supposed to know that you're not messing around with me? I don't want to get hurt anymore. That's why I'm afraid."

"So, is that all you have to say?" he repeated with a calm yet icy tone.

When he didn't receive any response from her, he grabbed her wrists and pinned her down on the seat behind her, much to her surprise and confusion. Without giving her a warning, he got on top of her and trapped her in between. He then leaned down to her, taking away her personal space.

She went silent still the moment he showed her a pained expression.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" he whispered to her before inching his face closer.

He could feel her unsteady breath hitting his skin. The thing in his chest is going crazy. But he tries to hide it and stays calm. He wants to make her understand how he truly feels about her – not have an emotional breakdown.

But even if he says it with words, he doubts she can ever understand how deep it is.

"If I didn't like you, I wouldn't be here with you. It's true that I played around before, but I'm not like that anymore. You need to get that clear in your head. You changed me. Don't you understand that? What else am I supposed to do to show you that I love you?"

Right then, he just surprised himself as much as he did to her.

He had said it out loud. For the first time in his whole life, he had used those words.

Stunned, he then slowly looked back down at her while she continued staring back up at him. Both of them are quiet for the next seconds to come. It seemed like he had really done it – he had said he loved her.

With that realization in mind, he smiles at her and releases his grip a little. His gaze becomes affectionate while his expression turns soft. It's a look he rarely makes – one that is only meant for her.

That is exactly what he feels about her. At last, he has accepted his true feelings. He loved her, and he never wanted to let her go – never in this lifetime around.

"I love you."

Her face flushed bright red this time. She tries to look away, but he holds her chin and makes her look back at him. From that moment on, he only continues staring at her ever so lovingly.

"I hope one day you say that to me too."