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Damon is a man who Maria has been having a long-time fling with. Despite his possessive and arrogant personality, Maria understood him well staying by his side through everything a rock a compagnon. Though they stay oblivious to how deeply they love each other.
Then he was forced into a political marriage his father had planned.
But he returned to Maria for some unspeakable reason, still a married man, and continued to visit her every week without fail. He was cheating on his wife with Maria, and she did nothing to stop him.
As per every week, Damon came and knocked on Maria’s door, dressed in a suit and tie he’d just finished work. Maria opens the door and greets him with a gentle smile, the one he loves. Damon enters the home like it is his own removing his jacket and shoes putting his keys in the little jar besides the door. Once settled in, his arms find their way around her hips encircling her from behind holding Maria tightly against his chest. Both of them melt against each other.
“Hard day?” she mumbles quietly
“I missed you Mia” he says before burying his face into the warmth of her neck, a habit he can't get rid of.
Maria laughs lightly at his nickname, only he uses. She turns in his arms, a small groan escapes Damon as his head lifts from his “comfortable” position. “No kisses?” she teases lightly her eyes roam over his face.
“Clingy?” he teases back before smothering her face with loving kisses in all his favourite places before landing on her lips. He always does this. It makes her feel special... She kisses him back which he interprets as an invitation and starts moving them towards the couch. It's almost predictable, almost ridiculous. He chases the feeling of warmth and comfort and she chases safety and love. An hour later they are cuddled tightly together neither wanting the moment to end.
“When are you leaving” she whispers regret springs in her gut seconds later. Afraid he’ll leave.
“Actually … I'd like to stay?” he asks in the dark. The silence lasts they both know he wont stay but despite the fact she holds him tighter and it is all he needs to know.
Like clockwork in the morning he’s gone. Maria wakes up alone a note on her bedstand table:
Had to leave early, Caroline called for me.
It is written in his neat and cursive handwriting. She is used to it by now, the lonely mornings, the emptiness she feels once he’s gone. The pit of jealousy for his Wife, Caroline. She has never met Caroline, not officially anyway. Mia has stalked her instagram, most of her posts are superficial but it's the ones with Damon that she can’t help but wish it was her and not Caroline in the picture. She is a gorgeous model and owner of “Brandza” a makeup line she recently launched. Her parents though are owners of multi million dollar companies around the world, it is the main reason why Damon married the woman so his parents could benefit off of Caroline's family. Mia often wonders if Damon wished to be with her like she did with him. She sighs, shaking her head and heads to the kitchen for coffee.
--
Damon was currently looking at dresses with Caroline. Caroline is gorgeous but she lacks warmth and personality and character; she is nothing like his Mia.
“Honey, how about this dress? It's got sequins and it’s backless!” She exclaims snapping Damon out of his thoughts.
“It is nice.” he replies dryly clearly he did not want to be here.
She rolls her eyes “I'm getting it” she says determined and heads to the counter. He waits for her in front of the expensive store, his eye catches a pretty necklace from another store. It reminds him of Mia. A gold chain, she only wears gold, and a red ruby pendant -her birth stone- shaped into an elegant tear drop. He buys it without a second thought, not even bothering to check the price and hides it. Caroline comes back with not only her dress but matching heels she tilts her head at him.
“Come on, I want flowers” she says in a whiny voice, handing him her shopping bags. He takes them without complaint and follows her to the flower shop. He spots Her favorite flowers and pauses red chrysanthemums…
“I want roses” she says, eyeing the red ones.
“Are they your favourite?” he asks calmly, indulging her his mind else where.
“No. Who even has a favourite flower? I want to decorate our kitchen with them. I'll let the maids take care of them anyway” she explains like it was obvious.
“Right.” he says calmly checking his phone for texts he might have received from work.
“Plus it makes great pictures for my instagram. I could say you bought me them because you missed me” she says, eyeing his reaction.
“Sure do as you please” he says finally as he pays for a bouquet of 50 roses. The chrysanthemums in the corner of his eye. His mind screaming at him to buy them.
--
It's lunch time and Mia hasn't eaten yet. She isn't especially hungry, she looks at instagram and sees Caroline's recent post:
My husband can't get enough of me! Look at the roses he bought me all because he missed me!
She can’t really be jealous and yet she is. A knock interrupts her train of thought, she gets up and answers the door to her surprise, it’s Damon? She can't help the soft smile that spreads across her face, almost relieved.
“What are you doing here?” she asks she can't hide the happiness in her tone.
He doesn’t answer, instead he looks at her and admires her for a good minute.
“I have a gift” from behind his back he reveals a bouquet of red chrysanthemums, the gold necklace from earlier in the center of the bouquet.
Her heart stops, she pauses before she smiles happily. “This is beautiful absolutely beautiful” she kisses him lovingly then kisses his cheek “I love it” she admits quietly.
Proudly Damon relishes in her compliments he has a boyish smile on his face. He enters the home with Mia, he closes the door behind him. “May I put the necklace on” he asks despite already having the necklace in hand.
“Let me put these beautiful chrysanthemums in a jar, did you know that chrysanthem-” she is cut off by Damon.
“Yes Mia they mean a deep feeling of love and affection you’ve told me before” he says he acts annoyed but he loves hearing her speak about flowers.
She rolls her eyes playfully but she can't hide her smile. And he can't help but admire her, her beauty, her warmth, her.
Once she finishes displaying the flowers with great care, Damon stands behind her and lightly barely grazing her skin puts the necklace on. Mia turns to face Damon and she is breathtaking.
“Beautiful” he mumbles, pulling her close.
“I love… it” she says quickly, almost saying something she might regret. She goes lax in his arms.
He pauses and takes a sharp breath before she… she didn't say it. Disappointment pools in his heart.
“I'm glad, I thought only of you when buying it” he whispers quietly, she always disarms him so easily.
Mia kisses him lovingly, her hands softly tangle into his hair, her body close to his, her heart beating just as fast as his in sync almost. He melts into the kiss immediately, their bodies fitting together like puzzle pieces. He almost has his top off when Mia’s stomach rumbles. She pause and so does he, before they both laugh together.
“Sorry” she says, slightly embarrassed tugging down on her shirt.
He chuckles again and kisses her forehead caringly shutting his eyes for a split second “lets eat” he suggests.
“Yes please” she fixes herself up and so does he. The way they glance at each other is anything but casual.
“Alright we can have pasta sandwiches umm a salad anything really I did a grocery shop not long ago” she says as she pulls his hand towards her to have him closer which he lets her do.
“I want to take you out but I will never say no to fried rice?” He tilts his head slightly. He can't keep his hands to himself they are wrapped around her tightly.
“Fried rice sounds perfect” she smiles and manages to untangle herself and sit Damon down on one of the bar stools in her kitchen.
He looks at her happily and complies. He sits and watches Mia cook his phone on mute so he can only concentrate on her.
“Sorry about this morning…” Damon says calmly now expecting anger maybe hurt.
She hesitates on how to respond “you had something more important to do I can understand that” she says quietly
He wants to fight to say that's not true but it is and he just frowns slightly.
“Sorry” Mia says “I know Caroline is…” she hesitates to say it “I know she is important to you and that you love her” she goes quiet after that not turning to see his reaction.
“What?” he says confused and quiet. “I don't love her” he says, staring at the back of Mia's head, almost almost saying those three words to her. “She isn't as important to me as you are. She is like part of my job, something I don't want to do but I have too” he says, calmly explaining himself and waiting on her answer.
“Screw it Mia, I love you” he says and abruptly stands up.
Mia whips around facing him “I love you too” she responds.
The room falls silent before they embrace each other and kiss each other desperately. They both at the same time say “I love you” smiling softly at each other because in the end it had to be her. Its always been only her.
She is the light of his life and he’ll be damned if he doesn't do anything about it.