Ellie's POV:

His expression looked shunned as his brows narrowed. "What-"

"I never looked at you as a friend, Ethan. You were always more than that to me. Always meant everything to me."

"Ellie." He repeated my name, in daze.

"I love you. I always have." I said, smiling bitterly, as a lone tear trickled down my face. "Now that I realize I've been too late in confessing about everything to you, I feel too bad for me. For you. For the future us ..." I said as I wiped my tears from the back of my hand.

Ethan stood there, as flabbergasted and speechless as ever, as his hands shook in overwhelmed emotion. "Since when?" He asked, his mind not being able to form a proper argument.

Looking outisde the window, I answered, "I don't remember when it all started. I just knew I always wanted more than what you were willing to give me. Each day passed in torture as you kept dreaming of your future with someone, who was not me. While you continued to treat me as your best buddy. And the day came when I decided to end this one-sided feelings all by myself. All for my sake."

Turning towards him, I said, my voice shaking with the emotions. "I formed the conclusion to say yes to the guy my parents decided for me. He's a good guy, comes from a respectable family too. And he looks after me, like any woman would want any man to. He sees his future in me, with me. I think if I spend some time with him, I can love him like I love you, Ethan."

Hearing my words, his feet staggered a bit as eventually he sat down on the couch, his eyes focused somewhere on the floor, as his fingers curled into a fist.

He didn't say anything. I never expected him to prove me otherwise anyway.

"I'm sorry but I think we shouldn't meet each other anymore. It'd only hurt both of us more if we decide against it." I said, as I reached the door of my room and turned on the knob.

That broke him out of his reverie as he moved fast for me to comprehend. He took long strides to grab my shoulders, pushing me against the door, my back colliding with the wooden frame, his hands behind me, turning the knob to close back again.

"What is-"

And before I could speak a single more word, he cupped my face, his lips capturing mine in a searing kiss. I tried to struggle with the sudden intimacy, grabbing his shirt to push him away.

But he grabbed both of my hands in his, his long fingers encircling my little ones in his protection.

Pushing me hard against the doorframe, he opened his mouth against me as our kiss deepened to something more. My fingers gripped his arms in a shaking euphoria as my eyes closed in a fleeting pleasure to feel his lips moving on my own.

Pulling me back into his arms, his hands wrapped around my waist, pressing me more against him, with a sudden urgency in his touch, as his tongue invaded my senses, tasting each corner of my mouth, to make me moan for more.

He grunted low in satisfaction as my arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer, while my fingers rummaged through his ruffled hairs. His hands roam up and down my body in the moment of heat as with a sudden push on his chest, I broke the kiss, his brows furrowed in disappointment.

We both were panting heavily from our make out, my lipstick smudged and smeared beautifully on his lips, as his intense gaze made me feel stripped out of my clothes.

"You're doing the same mistake again." I said, as my hand settled on his heaving chest, in weak strength to stop him from hurting me and my feelings again.

His fingers ran along the length of my hairs affectionately as he tucked a lone curl behind my ear, "Nina was a mistake, Ellie. Not you."

Our eyes locked in unison. "You said you wanted to be with her."

"That was because I didn't want to risk our bond. Unknowingly, you've come to me, touched me and my soul, came much more closer to my heart than any girl ever did."

I can feel moisture pooling at the corner of my eyes. "But you met Nina way before than you met me." I decided to throw his own words on him.

"That doesn't justify what I feel for you, Ellie."

I had a hard time believing his words. "You don't feel anything for me. Once again, you are at the edge of your emotions. Or as you once said before." I said, as I raised my hand to try to push him away.

But he caught my wrist in between, his large calloused hands covering mine in grace. I looked at him in confusion as he moved my hand to put it right over his heaving chest.

My eyes widened to see his heart beating loudly against my palm. I tried to retract my hand away in reflex when he said, "Feel it yourself, Ellie." I could feel his heartbeat increase with each word he was saying, "Something that only you can make me feel. This is how much you make me want you, Ellie, and just how much I want to be with you."

I didn't have words left to defy his confession, while the inner battle going inside my mind was still raging as fierce as ever. "This honesty is too sudden from your side. Don't forget that by doing this, you're cheating on Nina, and it's more or less the same way she cheated on you."

"I was never with Nina." He said, making me shocked for the umpteenth time that day. "After our first break-up, we never came back together again."

His break-up was some five months ago, I realized in awe.

"So, she left you-"

"She wanted to be with me, but..." His voice seemed to be laced with truth as he continued, "I decided myself for the better of both of us."

"Why?" I asked, wanting to hear everything to the end.

"Because I wanted her to be happy on her own. In whatever or whoever she liked to be with." I felt disappointed hearing him not say the words I wanted him to. "And I wanted some time alone to sort out my own feelings too."

He glanced at me before continuing, "Those unexplainable yearnings I had started to develop for you without my will."

"That's attraction, Ethan. That's not love." I said, though my heart seemed to believe in him at his first confession only.

"Well, I've this whole night left to prove to you if it's just attraction or love for me. I'm sure you wouldn't mind the foreplay." His words made me blush several thousand shades of red as he moved closer to my face.

But before he could kiss me again, I threw myself at him, wrapping my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly, crushing him with my weight. Instinctively, his hands came to rest on my hips and I could feel a beautiful smile adorning his own features.

"You believe in me then?" He asked, as he buried his face into my hairs. I didn't say anything as I sniffed his masculine scent to engrave his presence deep in my mind.

"Ellie?" He enquired once again, as his weight shifted to look at me now.

Tilting my head to gaze at him, I asked, "So we're dating now?"

Hearing my reply, he smiled in relief as if he'd been holding his breath for so long. "It depends on what relationship you want us to be in. Whether you want us to date first, or..." Taking both of my hands in his, he continued, "You can just choose to come and live with me," He lifted my right hand and kissed the tip of my fingers softly, "as my wife."

I couldn't believe my ears, or this day. My unrequited love was not as unrequited as I had thought it to be.

"So, what's your answer, Miss Ellie Wilson? Would you like to think about me as your lawfully wedded husband or not?"

I was sure I was crying when I answerd him.

"Yes, of course." With happiness embracing my heart and teary eyes, I hugged him.

"Thank you so much," He said, as his own eyes glistened with moisture.

He hugged me back, "I love you, Ellie." Closing his eyes, he tightended the embrace. "So much."

And I could only smile back at his words as he sighed in satisfaction with me in his arms.

The End

_____

Author's Note

*dies of embarrassment*

Lol, don't ask me anything. *hides her face with her hands*

It was kind of sudden idea for a short story, but those who've read my first book 'If Only He Knew' know how much I'm just in love with Friends-To-Lovers troupe with a mix of one-sided love and of course, happy ending.

It's my first time writing a short story and maybe you guys would've felt that too, considering sudden ups and downs in the character development. But believe me when I say I've always been writing long books worth 140,000 words so writing some 4,000 words short story was just as tough for me as is writing any happy ending for my characters lol.

But still, honestly, tell me if you guys liked this short story or not? I'd really love any sort of review/comment that you can leave here.

Was it too cliché for your taste? Or maybe you got a sweet tooth while reading it lol?

Anyways, thank you so much for reading this. Means a lot to me.

Until next time,

ritika. ♥