You Came Back To Me
Lia was gone for exactly three hours and fourteen minutes.
Adrian knew because he checked the time twice every twenty minutes like a deeply unwell man.
Which honestly—
he fully acknowledged at this point.
The penthouse felt wrong without her in it.
Too quiet.
Too clean.
No soft humming from the kitchen.
No textbooks abandoned across furniture.
No tiny voice wandering into his office asking if he wanted coffee while stealing half his attention in the process.
Just silence.
Adrian hated silence now.
Because silence reminded him what life felt like before her.
And nothing about that life interested him anymore.
—
By hour two, Adrian officially stopped pretending he was working.
His laptop remained open across the dining table while unread emails piled up untouched.
Instead—
he sat on the couch staring at his phone like it personally offended him.
Pathetic.
Absolutely pathetic.
His screen lit up again.
Lia.
Immediate reaction.
Adrian reached for the phone instantly.
Message:
Lia:
Sienna says you probably stared at the door after I left.
Adrian:
Sienna talks too much.
Lia:
That's not a denial.
Adrian:
Are you eating?
Lia:
Adrian.
Adrian:
Lia.
Lia:
Yes I'm eating.
Adrian:
What are you eating?
Lia:
You are genuinely unbelievable.
A faint smile appeared before Adrian could stop it.
Gone just as quickly.
Because the apartment still felt empty.
His eyes drifted automatically toward the bedroom hallway.
Toward the closet now filled with her clothes.
Her shoes near the door.
The mug she used that morning still sitting beside the sink because he hadn't let anyone wash it yet.
Everywhere he looked—
Lia existed.
And somehow—
that only made missing her worse.
The realization settled heavily inside his chest.
The elevator suddenly chimed softly from across the penthouse.
Adrian physically looked up immediately.
Every muscle in his body went alert.
Then—
footsteps.
Light.
Familiar.
His heart reacted before his mind did.
Pathetic.
Completely pathetic.
The penthouse doors opened seconds later.
And there she was.
Warm afternoon light spilled around her while shopping bags hung from both hands.
Hair slightly messy from wind outside.
Still wearing the necklace he helped clasp earlier that morning.
Adrian stood before thinking.
Lia blinked the second she saw him already walking toward her.
"You look dramatic."
"You were gone too long."
The answer came instantly.
No hesitation.
Never hesitation.
Lia laughed softly while kicking off her shoes near the entrance.
"I was gone for three hours."
"Three hours and fourteen minutes."
Silence.
Then slowly—
"You timed me?"
Adrian took the bags from her hands automatically before setting them aside somewhere neither of them cared about.
His attention remained completely fixed on her.
Like the rest of the apartment blurred away instantly.
"You came back to me."
The roughness in his voice wrapped tightly around Lia's chest.
Because he sounded genuinely relieved.
Not joking.
Not exaggerating.
Relieved.
Lia's expression softened immediately.
And somehow—
that nearly destroyed him more.
She walked toward him slowly before stopping directly in front of him.
"You missed me that badly?"
Adrian stared at her for several long seconds.
Then honestly—
"Yes."
God.
The sincerity again.
Always the unbearable sincerity.
Lia's fingers slid gently through his dark hair before she could stop herself.
Immediate reaction.
Always immediate.
Adrian closed his eyes briefly while a quiet breath escaped him.
Like even this small affection physically settled something restless inside him.
"You really are clingy," she whispered softly.
A faint smile touched his mouth.
"You love it."
Unfortunately—
he was right.
Adrian opened his eyes slowly before his hands settled automatically against her waist.
Warm.
Possessive.
Home.
"You smell like outside."
Lia laughed softly.
"That sounds judgmental."
"You smell different after being away from me."
The words hit harder than they should have.
Because somehow—
Adrian made even tiny observations feel intimate.
His thumbs brushed slowly against her waist while his gaze moved carefully across her face.
Checking.
Noticing.
Like reassuring himself she was actually back.
Lia noticed too.
"You really hate when I leave."
A quiet sigh escaped him.
"I hate how empty everything feels until you come back."
The confession wrapped painfully around her heart.
Because Adrian didn't sound dramatic.
Just truthful.
Like loneliness physically returned whenever she wasn't near him.
Lia stepped closer until no space remained between them.
Immediate reaction.
Adrian's arms wrapped around her instantly.
Protective.
Certain.
Like his body relaxed on instinct the second she fit against him again.
The silence softened afterward.
Warm evening light filled the apartment while the city glowed softly beyond the windows.
Then suddenly—
Lia frowned slightly.
"What?"
"You didn't answer any of your emails."
Adrian blinked once.
"How do you know that?"
"Your laptop screen is still open."
Silence.
Then—
"You stopped working because I left?"
Adrian looked completely unashamed.
"You're distracting."
Heat rushed instantly into her cheeks.
"That is not a valid excuse."
"It's the truth."
God.
How was she supposed to survive someone loving her this openly?
Adrian leaned down slowly until his forehead rested lightly against hers.
Comfortable.
Natural.
Like this position belonged to them now.
"You know what the worst part is?" he murmured softly.
Lia swallowed carefully.
"What?"
His fingers tightened slightly at her waist.
"The second you walked back inside, everything felt right again."
The confession shattered straight through her chest.
Because Adrian sounded almost frustrated by the intensity of it.
Like needing her this much still overwhelmed him sometimes.
Lia's hands slid slowly around his neck.
And for the first time all day—
Adrian fully relaxed.
His eyes closed briefly while he held her tighter.
Then quietly—
so softly it almost hurt—
"Thank you for coming home to me."