Confessions

"I can't keep pretending anymore," Alexander whispered, his voice low, almost trembling, as he stood inches from Serena, his intense gaze locked on her. The night had fallen around them, the moon casting a soft, ethereal glow over the terrace where they stood. The party still buzzed behind them, a faint murmur compared to the pounding of Serena's heart.

She hadn't expected this. Not now. Not after everything that had transpired with Damian.

Her breath hitched, the cool night air doing nothing to calm the heat that surged through her as Alexander moved closer, his eyes dark, full of an emotion he could no longer hide.

"What are you talking about?" she managed to ask, her voice shaking.

Alexander's expression was raw, vulnerable in a way she had never seen before. His walls—the walls he had kept up for so long—were crumbling. And Serena could feel the weight of his confession before he even said the words.

"You know what I mean, Serena," he said, stepping so close that she could feel the warmth radiating from his body. "I've been hiding it, pushing it down, telling myself it was wrong. But I can't do it anymore. I CAN'T KEEP PRETENDING THAT I DON'T FEEL THIS WAY ABOUT YOU."

Serena's heart stopped for a moment, her mind spinning as the reality of his words sank in. Was this happening? Was Alexander finally admitting the truth—the truth she had suspected, but had never allowed herself to believe?

Her mouth went dry, and she took a small step back, needing space to think, to breathe. But Alexander followed her, refusing to let her escape.

"Alexander, you don't know what you're saying," she said, though the words felt hollow, like a weak attempt to shield herself from the emotions she had tried so hard to deny.

But Alexander was relentless. "I know EXACTLY what I'm saying," he replied, his voice firm now, his hand reaching out to gently grasp her arm, pulling her back toward him. "I've known it for a long time, Serena. Maybe even from the moment I first met you. I've always felt something for you, something I couldn't explain, something I tried to ignore because I thought… I thought I wasn't allowed to feel it."

His confession hit her like a wave, the emotions crashing over her in a torrent she hadn't been prepared for. Alexander—the man who had been her ally, her confidant, her protector—had felt this way all along?

"You don't mean that," she whispered, her voice barely audible as she tried to pull away, her mind racing. "This is just… this is because of everything that's been happening. You're confused. We're both confused."

But Alexander shook his head, his hand tightening around hers, his eyes never leaving hers. "I've never been more certain of anything in my life," he said softly, his voice full of conviction. "You don't know how hard it's been for me, watching you suffer, watching you fight for your life, your freedom… and knowing that I couldn't tell you what was really in my heart."

His words were like a dagger to her chest, cutting through the walls she had built to protect herself. Serena felt her defenses crumbling, the fear of her emotions giving way to the undeniable truth that she had been trying to suppress for so long.

She had felt it too.

From the very beginning, there had been something between them, something she couldn't explain. But she had pushed it aside, convinced herself that it wasn't real, that it was just the aftermath of her betrayal by Damian.

But now, standing here, with Alexander's confession hanging in the air between them, she couldn't deny it any longer.

"Alexander…" she started, her voice breaking as she struggled to find the right words. "This… this can't happen. It's too complicated. We can't—"

But Alexander silenced her with a look, his eyes burning with an intensity that stole her breath. "I don't care about complicated," he said, his voice rough with emotion. "I don't care about what's right or wrong, or what anyone else thinks. All I care about is you, Serena. I love you."

The words hung in the air, heavy and irrevocable.

"I LOVE YOU," he repeated, his voice breaking with the weight of the confession. "And I can't keep it inside anymore."

Tears welled up in Serena's eyes, her chest tightening as she stared up at him, her heart warring with her mind. She had spent so long trying to protect herself, trying to keep her heart locked away, but now…

Now, everything was crumbling.

She wanted to run, to escape the intensity of his confession, but her feet wouldn't move. And when Alexander reached up, cupping her face in his hands, she couldn't stop the shudder that ran through her.

"Don't do this, Alexander," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Please… don't."

But Alexander didn't pull away. Instead, he leaned closer, his forehead resting against hers, his breath warm against her skin. "I can't help it, Serena. I love you. I've always loved you. And I know you feel it too."

Her heart pounded in her chest, every inch of her body screaming at her to pull away, to protect herself from the pain that always seemed to follow love. But the truth was, she couldn't deny it anymore.

She DID feel it.

She had felt it for a long time, even if she hadn't allowed herself to acknowledge it. And now, with Alexander standing before her, his heart laid bare, she couldn't lie to herself any longer.

But the fear… the fear of getting hurt again, of trusting someone and having them betray her… it was too much.

She blinked back tears, her voice breaking as she whispered, "I don't know if I can do this, Alexander. I don't know if I can trust you. Not after everything."

Alexander's expression softened, his hands still cradling her face as he looked deep into her eyes. "I understand," he said quietly. "I understand why you're scared. But I'm not Damian. I would never hurt you like that. I swear to you, Serena, I would never betray you."

The sincerity in his voice, the emotion in his eyes—it was almost too much for her to bear. She wanted to believe him, to let herself fall into his arms and trust that he would catch her.

But could she?

"I don't know…" she whispered, the tears finally spilling over, running down her cheeks.

Alexander wiped them away gently with his thumb, his touch so tender it made her heart ache. "I'll wait," he said softly. "I'll wait as long as it takes. I'm not going anywhere, Serena. I'll be here for you, no matter what. Because I love you. And I believe in us."

The words sent a shiver down her spine, her chest tightening with the weight of everything she was feeling. She wanted to believe him—wanted to trust that love could be enough to heal the wounds of her past.

But as she stood there, staring up at the man who had just laid his heart at her feet, she knew that this wasn't just about love. It was about fear. It was about trust. It was about letting go of the pain that had defined her for so long.

And that was a choice she wasn't sure she was ready to make.

Later, as Serena lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling, her mind replayed Alexander's words over and over again.

"I love you."

The words echoed in her mind, filling the silence of the night.

She had never expected this. Never expected him to feel this way. But now that she knew… what was she going to do about it?

Her heart ached with the weight of her emotions, the fear and hope warring inside her.

Could she trust him? Could she really let herself love again?

Or was she destined to keep running, to keep her heart locked away forever?

As the first light of dawn began to filter through the curtains, Serena whispered to herself, "I have to decide… before it's too late."

"What are you going to do about it?"