A hundred Chapters Later, Id Still Choose You
The strange thing about reaching one hundred chapters of loving Adrian was this:
Nothing between them felt smaller anymore.Not the quiet moments.Not the ordinary ones.If anything—the little things became the most dangerous.Because somewhere along the way, Lia realized she no longer measured love through dramatic gestures.
Now she measured it through things like:the way Adrian reached for her in his sleep.The way he automatically moved her coffee closer when she looked tired.The way silence inside the apartment no longer felt empty.Just full of him.Full of them.
And honestly?
That terrified her more beautifully than anything else ever had.
—
Friday night settled warmly across the city.
The penthouse windows reflected thousands of lights against the dark skyline while soft music drifted through the apartment.
Lia stood barefoot near the kitchen island finishing tea while Adrian loosened his tie nearby after returning home late from meetings.
The second he walked through the door earlier—he kissed her before even speaking.
Which honestly had become routine now.Not because the romance faded.
Because touching her first had become instinct.
Adrian leaned against the counter watching her quietly.
Still in his black dress shirt.Sleeves rolled slightly.
Dark hair messy from running his hands through it all evening.
Beautiful enough to genuinely irritate her.
"You're staring again."
A faint smile touched his mouth.
"You're wearing my sweater again."
Lia glanced down at the oversized charcoal knit hanging off one shoulder.
"It's comfortable."
"It's mine."
"You sound emotionally attached to fabric."
"I'm emotionally attached to the girl inside it."
God.
Even after all this time he still talked like that.
Like loving her out loud had become second nature.
Lia carried the mugs toward the couch carefully while Adrian followed automatically behind her.
Always close.Always orbiting toward her without thinking now.
They settled together beneath soft lighting while rain started quietly outside again.
Comfortable silence wrapped around the apartment.
The kind that only existed between people who knew each other deeply.
Lia tucked her legs beneath herself against the couch while Adrian rested one arm across the cushions behind her.Then—without even looking—his fingers brushed lightly against her ankle.There.Grounding himself again.The realization made warmth spread softly through her chest.
"You know what's funny?" Lia whispered quietly.
Adrian's gaze lifted toward her immediately.
"What?"
"You used to scare me."
A quiet laugh escaped him.
"I still scare people."
"Yeah, but now you reorganize my sweaters and make me tea when I'm stressed."
A faint flicker crossed his face.
"You cried over a sad dog commercial last week."
"That is unrelated."
Unfortunately—it wasn't.
Adrian smiled softly before shifting closer across the couch.Immediate reaction.Warmth surrounded her instantly.Then his hand settled carefully against her waist beneath the sweater.
Home.
"You know what scares me?" he murmured softly.
Lia looked up at him carefully.
"What?"
His expression changed immediately.Softer.Quieter.The version of Adrian only she ever saw.
"That this stopped feeling temporary."
The confession wrapped tightly around her chest.Because Adrian sounded overwhelmed by the realization still.Like happiness continued surprising him every day.Rain tapped softly against the windows while the city glowed silver outside.
Lia reached up slowly, brushing her fingers gently through his dark hair.Immediate reaction.Always immediate.His eyes closed briefly while a soft breath escaped him.
"You really love that."
"You really love me doing it."
Fair.
Adrian opened his eyes again afterward.Completely gone for her already.No walls.No distance.Just love everywhere.
"You know what I realized today?" he asked quietly.
Lia swallowed carefully.
"What?"
"That I don't remember what my life felt like before you anymore."
The honesty shattered straight through her chest.Because Adrian sounded sincere.Not dramatic.Like loving her had rewritten something fundamental inside him.His thumb brushed slowly against her waist beneath the sweater.
"I remember details." A pause. "Meetings. Cities. Work."
Then quieter—
"But emotionally?" His gaze stayed fixed entirely on her face. "Everything before you feels cold now."
Tears nearly burned unexpectedly behind Lia's eyes.Because she understood exactly what he meant.Before Adrian—she survived life.After Adrian—she lived inside it fully.The realization overwhelmed her instantly.
Adrian noticed immediately.Of course he did.His fingers tilted her chin upward gently.
"You disappeared again."
"You make me emotional constantly."
A faint smile appeared.
"You love it."
Unfortunately—she really did.
Lia moved closer without thinking until her forehead rested lightly against his.Warm.Certain.Home.The apartment glowed softly around them.Rain outside.Tea forgotten on the table.A hundred chapters worth of love sitting quietly between them now.And somehow—it still felt like the beginning.
"You know what's terrifying?" Lia whispered softly.
His nose brushed lightly against hers.
"What?"
"That if I had to choose again..." Her fingers slid gently into his hair. "I'd still choose you every single time."
Everything in Adrian went still.Completely still.Then his expression cracked open in the most devastating way.Like those words physically reached somewhere sacred inside him.A quiet breath escaped him while his arms wrapped tighter around her waist.
Then softly—rough enough to ruin her permanently—
"A hundred chapters later," he whispered against her lips, "and I'd still fall in love with you exactly the same way."