Thea went back inside the news room feeling downcast with her shoulders bent down low. Keira noticed how out of it she seemed, as she would occasionally bump into the other crew and almost tripped.
"What is wrong with her?" she mumbled when she saw Thea look around the room as though she was looking for something or someone. Her gaze stopped at Keira and their eyes met. But Thea immediately lowered her head and walked to her seat. She resumed her work as if nothing had happened.
Keira was still looking at Thea, bemused at her uncanny behavior, when she heard a notification sound from her phone. She then looked at it and saw that Lyra had sent her a message asking if she would like to have dinner together, because she had something to tell her.
----
Keira was about to go out for lunch at lunchtime when she heard Thea speak to her from behind, "Can we go out and have lunch together? I have something important to discuss with you." Although startled, Keira accepted Thea’s invitation and the two went out together.
Keira listened attentively without interrupting as Thea told her the whole story. She observed Thea carefully and she could feel that she was being truthful and sincere with her apology.
She let out a long sigh after hearing everything and said, "Let bygones be bygones. You’ve received your karma and I do hope you’ve learned something from it. I’m not the kind of person who holds a grudge on someone, especially if that person is trying to change for the better. So don’t worry, I will inform Zach about everything as soon as he is back. We will discuss it and see how we can help you out."
Thea bit her lip as it trembled. She was so overwhelmed with the goodness of Keira’s heart that she could not stop her tears from falling. She then said, "I’m really sorry. I am not a hypocrite. I still love Zach, but I will let him go now because I know he is in the right hands."
Keira sighed as she moved over to sit next to Thea. Never in her wildest dreams had she pictured herself comforting her husband’s ex-girlfriend. And yet here she was, patting Thea’s back while the latter sobbed. "You know this is so awkward," Keira muttered uncomfortably.
"I know, I’m sorry, I just can’t help crying," Thea murmured in between sobbing. She cried because she pitied herself for having a bitter destiny, but at the same time it was also out of regret.
She regretted to have left Zach all those years ago, because Zach had completely fallen in love with Keira in her absence. And she now understood why; she really was not even a little bit comparable to Keira Chan in any way.
...........
Torin only had a limited time to spend with Lyra. He needed to return to their hideout before night falls. It was a good thing that it was Lyra’s day off today. He smiled as he saw Lyra busily prepared their lunch.
"Are you sure you don’t want to go out? I will have to leave soon. We can go out on a date while I’m still here." asked Torin with a grin. He was so happy that his smiles ran all the way up his face and touched his ears. Finally, he could speak whatever he has in mind with Lyra.
"Ahh, this is nice," he sighed loudly as he pulled Lyra to sit on his lap and hugged her tightly. Lyra chuckled as she said, "Bro.. sto..."
She quickly stopped and pursed her lips upon realizing what had just come out of her mouth. Torin arched his eyebrows and said, "You really want it, huh? Me putting hickeys on every part of your body? I can see that you’re intentionally calling me that..."
Lyra chuckled as she waited for Torin to bite her neck or her arm, but to her dismay he did not do it, so she turned around to face him and laughed when she saw his crumpled face.
"Stop laughing! It’s not funny. Do you think I have an unlimited self-control?" he said in his usual childish tone that Lyra missed. Lyra rested her arms on his shoulders and kissed Torin.
There was never a dull moment whenever she was with Torin. Even when he used to pester her back then, she had never minded it. She had, in fact, loved their little banters, and would only love to banter even more with him.
She knew him so well, just as he knew her so well too. He knew every single detail about her, except for the fact that she had always liked and loved him for a long time. Or perhaps, they had always been aware of each others’ feelings all along, but for some foolish reason, had concealed it from each other.
Torin was almost breathless when Lyra finally let go of his lips. He wanted Lyra badly and it would be hard for him to control his urge if she continued to be bold like this.
He looked at her and asked, "When are you planning to tell your brother and the rest of your family about us?" He couldn’t wait anymore. He would ask Lyra to marry him once he had another opportunity for a day off, but first he would need to get her a ring.
He creased his forehead when he noticed Lyra bit her lip. She was hesitating so he said, "I told you, I can tell them if you can’t."
"But, I’m... Uhm... Do you think big Bro will accept us being together? They know you, so I think they will be happy... It’s just that I’m not sure how to tell them exactly" explained Lyra.
Torin inhaled and exhaled loudly as he said, "Where’s the brave Lyra that I know? You can tell them straightforwardly like this, - ’Grandpa, Grandma, Mom, big Bro, I’m in love with Torin and I can’t live without him. I decided to confess to him and he accepted me, so please understand our love for each other and give us your blessing. I feel like I would die if I couldn’t be with him.’ - There... memorize that and everything will flow smoothly and they will be happy for us."
Lyra laughed out loud as she hit Torin’s shoulders complaining, "What the heck, why would you make it look like I’m the one that’s chasing you? Maybe you should tell them that, exactly in those words, but say that you’re the one who fell in love with me first... and that you couldn’t live without me and would die if you couldn’t be with me... You go and tell them that instead."
"Well, I will then, since it’s true." said Torin with a serious face as he pulled Lyra towards him so he could bite her neck and give her another hickey there.