Love Is...

41. You

CHAPTER – 41

LOVE IS... YOU

'Love is old, love is new. Love is all, love is you.' – The Beatles

Day – 20

It took my exact half an hour to get ready and to pack a few clothes to take with me to my parents' place, and fifteen minutes for the cab to arrive at my apartment.

My thoughts stayed fixed on my Dad. No matter how much I wanted to stay positive about his health, there was a speck of negativity in my mind that was keen on making me think about the worst that could happen. No! He had to be alright. Of course, he was fine. He's my Dad after all; my superhero. The man who, despite his flaws had always been the best father I could ever ask for; the man who selflessly fulfilled my needs no matter how unreasonable they were; the man who considered me as his son, his daughter, and the apple of his eyes. Yes, he was fine. He didn't have any other alternative.

Tugging my hair behind my ear, I looked outside the window with my teeth digging in my bottom lip. My tear filled eyes landed on a very familiar building and in an instant, I asked the driver to stop the car.

"You want me to take a U-turn?" he asked, looking at me through the rear view mirror.

I shook my head. "No. I just have to meet someone here. I'll be back in five minutes."

With that stepped out of the cab and hurried towards his apartment. Some guy was already entering the place, so I grabbed the opportunity and entered the building without ringing the bell. Wiping the tears that had stained my cheeks in the last half an hour or so, I ran up the stairs to meet him one time before leaving. I wanted to see if he was okay. I needed to see him, to make sure that he was okay. And to tell him that I was leaving for my hometown right now. He had asked me to wait. So how could I not?

I stopped once I reached his apartment door and raised my hand to ring the bell only to stop myself from doing so. 'What am I doing here?' I asked myself, coming out of the emotional daze I had entered into. Was I actually ready to meet Ashton? Did I actually want to add some more emotional baggage to my mind?

What if he chooses to put a closure on our relationship and not in a good way? I knew that he didn't love me, but was I ready to hear him say it in my face? The news that I would be going away for a year didn't bother him, so how could I even think that going away for a few days to meet my parents would matter him? It wouldn't.

Running my hand over my tied up hair, I cursed myself for being so stupid. Ashton had been always right. I really was an idiot.

Without ringing the bell, I stepped back from the door, shaking my head. Ashton could wait. It was better to just drop a message, telling him that Dad was unwell and that I had to go. I cursed myself for being an idiot and thinking that Ashton might worry if he didn't hear from me tomorrow. He was obviously busy. He wouldn't even notice that I wasn't here.

A sigh in self pity escaped my lips and just as I was about to turn around to go back, I heard his voice from behind me, "Liana?"

An inaudible gasp escaped my lips. So much for not meeting him! I turned around to face him and immediately spotted relief on his handsome face. He had just stepped out of the elevator, which made me look towards the door and curse myself, once again, for not noticing the lock on the door.

"I just went to your home and couldn't find you. Your door was locked. Your neighbors didn't know where you were. My phone's battery died and I couldn't contact you. So I came back here. Thank God, you are here. It's almost midnight, Liana. You had me f*cking worried," he rambled as he took steps towards me. I noticed that he was still in the same clothes that he was wearing yesterday, telling that he really had been busy with some issues. The bags under his eyes made me wonder if he had even slept properly the night before. The worry lines were clear on his face and I wanted to touch his forehead, tracing lines to his cheek till his jaw, to soothe him in any way that I could. He looked like he needed it.