Then Let Me Love You Long Enough To Prove It
Silence filled the penthouse after Adrian said it.
If you ever stop loving me, I don't think I'll survive it correctly.
The confession lingered between them like something fragile.
Dangerous.
Too honest to ignore.
Lia stood wrapped in his arms near the center of the living room while rain traced softly against the windows behind them.
Adrian's forehead still rested lightly against hers.
Warm hands anchored carefully at her waist.
Like he needed the contact after admitting something that vulnerable out loud.
And suddenly—
Lia understood just how deeply fear lived inside him.
Not fear of rejection.
Not ego.
Loss.
Real loss.
The kind that came from finally finding something precious after years of emotional isolation.
His breathing remained uneven.
Subtle enough most people wouldn't notice.
But Lia noticed everything now too.
Her fingers slid softly through his dark hair again.
Immediate reaction.
Always immediate.
Adrian closed his eyes briefly like affection physically overwhelmed him.
"You really think I'd leave you?" she whispered softly.
A faint breath escaped him.
"You're asking the wrong question."
Lia's chest tightened instantly.
"What's the right question?"
Adrian opened his eyes slowly.
Dark.
Exhausted.
Completely honest.
"Do I believe I deserve someone staying?"
The words shattered straight through her.
Because suddenly—
everything clicked into place.
The obsession.
The constant reassurance.
The way Adrian looked relieved every single time she came back to him.
This wasn't just about loving her too much.
It was about never believing anyone would choose him permanently once they truly knew him.
Lia stared at him silently.
And God—
that hurt.
"You really don't see yourself the way I do," she whispered softly.
A faint flicker crossed his face.
"How do you see me?"
The question came quieter than expected.
Careful.
Like he genuinely wanted to know.
Lia's hands slid slowly from his hair to his face, palms resting warmly against his cheeks.
"You love loudly," she said softly.
Adrian's gaze stayed locked completely on hers.
"You notice everything. You care too much. You make space for me everywhere in your life even when it scares you."
His hands tightened slightly at her waist.
Lia swallowed carefully before continuing.
"You're not hard to love, Adrian."
Silence crashed through the room.
Heavy.
Devastating.
Because the words visibly affected him.
His composure cracked in real time.
A sharp breath escaped him while his eyes lowered briefly like he physically couldn't handle hearing that.
Lia's chest ached instantly.
No one had ever loved him gently enough for those words to feel believable.
The realization hurt more than she expected.
Adrian leaned forward suddenly, burying his face briefly against her shoulder.
Not dramatic.
Not theatrical.
Just overwhelmed.
His arms wrapped tighter around her waist while he exhaled slowly against her skin.
"You say things that undo me," he murmured roughly.
Lia's fingers moved instinctively through his hair again.
Soft.
Comforting.
The way he relaxed against her afterward nearly broke her heart.
Because Adrian Monteverde only softened like this with her.
Only let himself become emotionally fragile in her hands.
"You don't have to be afraid of me leaving all the time," she whispered softly.
A quiet laugh escaped him.
Tired.
Almost self-aware.
"That sounds very nice in theory."
"Adrian."
"No," he murmured quietly.
His forehead rested against her shoulder while his voice lowered softer.
"You don't understand what loving you feels like."
The confession settled heavily between them.
Lia's fingers paused gently in his hair.
"Then tell me."
Silence.
Rain tapping softly against the windows.
Their breathing mingling together in the warm stillness of the apartment.
Then finally—
"It feels permanent."
The honesty wrapped tightly around her chest.
Adrian lifted his head slowly after that.
His expression looked raw now.
Stripped clean of all composure.
"Everything else in my life feels replaceable." His thumb brushed lightly against her waist. "Meetings. People. Money. None of it matters if it disappears tomorrow."
Then quieter—
"You do."
The words physically hurt.
Because Adrian sounded terrified by the truth.
Terrified that loving someone this deeply meant giving them the power to destroy him completely.
Lia looked at him carefully.
And suddenly—
she realized something devastating.
Adrian had spent his entire life being valued for what he provided.
Power.
Protection.
Money.
Control.
But with her?
He wanted something much scarier.
To simply be loved back.
The realization cracked her open emotionally.
Without thinking, Lia leaned forward and kissed him softly.
Immediate reaction.
Adrian inhaled sharply against her mouth while his hands pulled her closer instinctively.
The kiss stayed slow.
Tender.
Nothing frantic.
Just closeness.
Reassurance.
When Lia pulled back slightly, Adrian kept his forehead against hers like he physically couldn't tolerate distance afterward.
His eyes stayed closed for several seconds.
Then quietly—
almost painfully vulnerable—
"You make me feel safe in ways I don't understand."
The confession wrapped tightly around her heart.
Because powerful men like Adrian weren't supposed to admit things like that.
Safety.
Need.
Dependency.
And yet he handed every vulnerable truth to her willingly.
Lia brushed her thumb lightly beneath his eye again.
"You know what I think?"
Adrian opened his eyes slowly.
"What?"
Her voice softened instinctively.
"I think you've spent so long surviving people that you forgot love isn't supposed to feel like something you have to earn constantly."
Silence again.
But this time—
Adrian looked genuinely affected.
Not overwhelmed.
Almost stunned.
Like no one had ever framed love that gently for him before.
His hand lifted slowly toward her face.
Careful fingers brushing softly along her jaw.
Then finally—
with enough sincerity to ruin her completely—
"Then let me love you long enough to prove I can believe it too."