I Think My Soul Already Chose You
After that conversation, something dangerous happened.Adrian stopped hiding how serious he was about forever.Not subtly.Not carefully.He started loving Lia like a man who had already made his decision.
And honestly?That realization terrified her in the most beautiful way possible.
—
Friday night arrived cold and quiet.The city glittered beneath the penthouse windows while soft jazz drifted through the apartment.
Lia sat at the kitchen island attempting to finish an assignment while Adrian cooked beside her wearing rolled sleeves and reading glasses.
Which honestly felt unfairly attractive.
"How are you real?"
Adrian glanced toward her briefly while stirring something in a pan.
"That sounded emotionally loaded."
"You're making pasta while wearing glasses."
A faint smile touched his mouth.
"And?"
"You look like somebody's husband."
Silence.Complete silence.
Lia immediately regretted existing.Because slowly—very slowly—
Adrian turned toward her fully.And the expression on his face nearly destroyed her emotionally on impact.Gone.Absolutely gone.His gaze stayed fixed entirely on her while the kitchen filled with warm light and the smell of garlic and butter.
"You say things like that very casually."
Heat rushed instantly into her cheeks.
"I didn't mean—"
"You did."
The roughness in his voice wrapped tightly around her chest.Because Adrian sounded deeply affected already.Over one sentence.
God.
Lia looked back down at her laptop immediately in an attempt to preserve what remained of her emotional stability.
"That was not supposed to become a conversation."
A quiet laugh escaped him softly.Warm.Ruined around the edges.
Then suddenly—
Adrian abandoned the stove completely.Which honestly should have concerned her more.
He crossed the kitchen slowly before stopping directly between her knees where she sat on the stool.
Immediate reaction.Warmth surrounded her instantly.
Then his hands settled naturally against her thighs.
Comforting himself again.Grounding himself through touch.
"You know what your problem is?" he murmured softly.
Lia swallowed carefully.
"What?"
"You say things that make me want impossible amounts of permanence with you."
The confession shattered straight through her chest.Because Adrian sounded almost frustrated by it.Like loving her this much still overwhelmed him sometimes.
Lia looked up at him carefully.Big mistake.Because he looked devastating tonight.Soft eyes behind glasses.Dark hair slightly messy.Love written openly across every part of his face now.No hiding anymore.No restraint.The realization physically hurt.
"You already want permanence."
"Yes."
No hesitation.Never hesitation.
Then quieter—
"I just keep wanting more of it."
God.This man genuinely had no mercy.
Lia's fingers slid instinctively against the front of his shirt.Immediate reaction.
Adrian's breathing softened instantly.Like even tiny affection from her still emotionally affected him every single time.The kitchen remained warm around them.Soft music.Rain beginning lightly outside.Home.Everything about this moment felt terrifyingly permanent already.
"You know what scares me?" Lia whispered softly.
His thumbs brushed gently against her thighs.
"What?"
"That you talk about forever like it already belongs to us."
Silence settled softly between them.
Heavy.
Tender.
Then Adrian smiled.
Not teasing.
Not arrogant.
Certain.
"I think it does."
The honesty nearly ruined her completely.Because Adrian didn't sound hopeful anymore.He sounded decided.Like somewhere deep inside himself, he already considered her part of the rest of his life.
Lia's heartbeat turned uneven instantly.
"Adrian..."
His hands slid slowly higher along her legs before resting carefully against her waist.
Then softly—almost thoughtful—
"I spent years building a life I didn't really care about sharing with anyone."
The confession settled heavily into the room.Adrian looked away briefly toward the city lights beyond the windows before continuing quieter:
"And now I can't picture any part of it without you in it."
The sincerity physically hurt.Because Adrian sounded amazed by himself.Like loving her transformed every ambition he once had into something softer.Something shared.
Lia stared at him silently while rain tapped softly against the glass.And suddenly—she realized something terrifying.Adrian no longer loved her like someone asking for permission to stay.
Now—he loved her like someone whose entire soul had already chosen her permanently.The realization overwhelmed her instantly.Adrian noticed immediately.Of course he did.His fingers tilted her chin upward carefully.
"You disappeared again."
"You make me emotional."
A faint smile appeared.
"I know."
God.Even his confidence sounded soft now.
Not ego.
Security.
The kind built from being loved consistently.
Lia wrapped her arms slowly around his neck.Immediate reaction.
Adrian stepped closer automatically until no space remained between them.Comfortable.Natural.Like closeness itself had become home.
"You know what I think?" she whispered softly.
His forehead rested lightly against hers.
"What?"
Lia closed her eyes briefly before answering.
"I think my soul already chose you before the rest of me caught up."
Everything in Adrian went still.Completely still.Then a sharp breath escaped him softly.Like those words physically reached somewhere deep inside his chest.
When Lia opened her eyes again—he looked emotionally wrecked.Gone beyond recovery.
"You can't say things like that," he whispered roughly, "and expect me to survive it normally."
A laugh escaped her quietly through the tightness in her chest.
"You survive everything dramatically."
"Only when it involves you."
Unfortunately—also true.
Adrian leaned down slowly afterward and kissed her like he already belonged to her forever anyway.