And Then It Rained (Sequel to Rain Again; Stand Alone Book) (Completed)

Chapter Thirty-two: The Staggering Truth

The silhouette exposed its true form as it moved closer to her. Light shone on the man's face, who started to step up onto the flat stone she was sitting on her knees upon. 

"You—" Victoria mumbled, gasping in shock.

"Are you alright?" His face was tight, and his eyebrows were clenched in worry as he bent closer over her fallen form.

"Victor!" She took his name in a whisper, not sure if she was hallucinating. 

Her head was spinning. There was a chance this was not real. Maybe, it was her heart's craving that her mind was now playing with.

He spread a hand before her to take, to help her get up. Confused and filled with some hesitation, looking from his hand to his face a few times back and forth, she finally took it. And the familiar sinewy feeling of that hand again, the warmth on his flesh and skin, the feeling of his pulse—they all confirmed to her.

It was undoubtedly him. Truly, it was him.

Not a hallucination of hers. Not a ghost. Not a look alike.

For some reason, Victor had come to the lands of sushi and teriyaki. And somehow, he was here in the forest, in the depths where no one casually wandered, helping her up to her feet, forcing out the emotions she had worked hard to tame in a long and arduous week's timeline. He had managed to undo all her efforts in a mere few seconds.

"What are you doing here?" she mumbled. "Why are you here?"

Her dizzy mind made up probable replies when he just remained quiet, staring at her. Perhaps he had come because of a new business venture. Many people came to Japan to undergo cosmetic surgeries, but Victor already looked flawless, so it was pretty unlikely. Then, maybe, he was here vacationing with Kate and Owen accompanying him since he was now a free man. But that meant he had already signed the divorce papers...

"You."

Her trail of thoughts broke because of his sudden, bold reply. And although she clearly heard what he had said, she still couldn't decipher the meaning of it. "What?"

There was a soft look on his face. A prelude of a smile shaped around his mouth.

She stared at his mouth—his lips. And he recalled the way he had kissed her—oh, that all-consuming kiss.

Suddenly, he held her face with both his hands. His hands trailed down his neck and shoulders. The earlier worry had returned to his face. "Why did you get so deep in the forest? And why the hell did you leave the path! Why would you do such a reckless thing!"

"I'm alright," she said. She was about to ask him again why he was here out of all places, but then he said something that punched her in the guts.

"Alright—my foot! You were lost for almost two days! Police and volunteers are scouring this freaking weird forest to find you."

Two days!

She could swear she had spent three to four hours max since she entered. She definitely hadn't spent a single night in this forest.

"Stop kidding!" 

"I'm not." Victor narrowed his eyes. "You look pale and dizzy," he pointed. "You didn't have enough food or water, did you?"

"It's been just a few hours!" she protested.

However, Victor seemed not to believe her with that stern look he was giving her. But as she swayed again, her eyelids feeling heavy as she blinked, his gaze changed to a panicked concern. "Will you be able to walk?" It was unclear whether he asked her that or was pondering it loudly. Because when she nodded, instead of heeding to it, he muttered, "I doubt it." And then, out of the blue, he bent down to slip an arm beneath her knees and another behind her shoulders.