Suzanne served Asher a tray of apples as she stepped out of his study room. Staring at the red, juicy apples, his thoughts played a little.

Amaya entered, and her perfectly carved eyebrows furrowed in his direction. She banged the door closed and stepped forward, noticing how he woke into reality by the thud of the door. She looked around the room and her gaze finally settled on him.

Asher glared at his mother, then turned away.

"Hey, Asher." Amaya's voice came softly.

"Hey." He weakly smiled up at her.

"Talk to me, Asher," Amaya muttered, placing both hands at an acute angle against her hips. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah." He replied, and she took a seat behind him. "And mum, Lilah said we can.... You know, come for the wedding gifts."

"That's not possible!" Genuine concern filled Amaya's face in a pressed frown. "How can she say a thing like that?"

Asher softly nibbled on his lower lip, disappointed.

"What did you tell her?"

"Nothing." Hurt filled his voice. "Mum, you know that we... We did not marry for love. It's not that we were in love with each other before we got married."

"Asher, don't do this!" The sadness struck Amaya's expression now. Her voice was barely audible.

"She always had someone she loved. She loved him. She always wanted to marry him. She deserves to be happy. I'm happy for both of them. At least she can be happy with someone that she loves." He said, avoiding her name to forget about her.

Asher met his mum's steady eyes, like a deer in headlights, and twirled away in seriousness.

"I saw both of you. And I know that both of you developed affection for each other." His mum lamented in a feeble voice.

Asher's dancing eyes met Amaya with a sparkle and he turned away, looking at the apple and dropping it in the tray, uninterested.

Amaya watched him, unsure if she should feel relieved or scared about their separation. They have been married for 8 months now. Lilah left three weeks ago, and it's sickening. She also had two doses of calming draughts in the same hour and wasn't sure if it mattered. Especially to Asher.

'He should be concerned. Of course, he is concerned.' She imagined still studying him. Amaya could read through his eyes like a book.

"Mum, I'll be in my room." Asher pulled out of the sofa and stood up. Uncomfortable with her presence.

"... But we are talking." Amaya wanted to stop him.

Instead, she watched him leave. Her eyes rolled over to the tray of apples as she grabbed one and gave it a good chew. Her slim lips curved into a mysterious smirk.

Conan was asleep when she woke up. They spent the night together in a hotel room, chatting all night till sleep took over the both of them. Lilah stretched out of the bed and watched Conan. Still sound asleep on the back, lathered couch. More amazingly, how a twenty-five-year-old, 6'4" man slept so sound like a baby. A small part of his lips let out a silent breath of gentle snores and coos. He was too tall for the couch, but he respected Lilah so much, not to share a bed with her.

Although they had shared a close space a hundred times, something pulled her closer to him. Lilah admired Conan from a distance and smiled. A thought of Asher came into her mind. How he'd sacrificed his room throughout her stay in the Rhys mansion.

'He is cute, but not as cute as Asher was. Huh, stupid thought!' Lilah flinched into reality.

She tiptoed to the corner of the room, which had a kitchen cabinet. Lilah, like a mouse, quietly made tea by not letting the kettle whistle before turning it off. As she turned back to him, he wiped out the corners of his eyes, sitting upright.

"Oh, you're awake." She smiled, facing Conan. His eyes were like a deer in the headlights.

"I did not know that you were... Umm." He stammered. Covering his eyes with one hand.

"What? Is this the first time you're seeing me in a nightgown?" She raised a slim eyebrow at the question, sipping a cup of hot coffee at his awkwardness.

"No. But," his throat croaked in confusion. "I wasn't expecting.."

Lilah rolled her eyes at him. It was weird. Conan's eyes deepened as his bravado crackled, revealing the softer side she had stared at all night.

"You weren't expecting me to be so free around you?" She completed the sentence for him. A little disappointed.

Conan sat back as he left the room, plopping on the couch.

"I'm sorry." He muttered, putting on his white-sleeved shirt.

"It's fine, it's okay. Would you have a cup of coffee too?" Lilah held up the kettle of boiled water.

"Yes." He replied. "But before leaving, let's grab breakfast downstairs. I heard they have excellent customer service."

"I've had my bath. You should too." Lilah added, filling a server with coffee and handing it to him.

Lilah and Conan have spent a lot of time alone, sleeping over in his car, in her room, and sometimes in hotels, but they've never been intimate with each other. Getting back together feels different. Apart from Eliana, Conan has always been her best friend. The closest to her.

"Thank you." He gave a tight-lipped smile, sipping his coffee. "What about your resume work?"

"Huh?"

"I can't believe you wasted seven months in his house doing nothing. Your position is still available, I made sure of that. You should resume work at my company. What do you think?" A thickness filled his voice.

"What? You still want me back after all the..." The idea of Conan giving her the job back seemed ridiculous, but she was indeed grateful. She never expected he'd reconsider.

"Yes! Of course, I'm more than delighted to resume!" She teased with a giggle.

"Distance means so little when someone means much more. I don't want to lose you again, mate. Everything is possible when you have the right people to support you. I want to love and support you with all of me." Conan sipped his coffee as their eyes met again. Lilah timidly looked away, flushed.

She watched him drink the rest of the coffee and pull out of the couch. Walking towards the cabinet to drop the server, Conan placed the server behind her. Then he leaned against the counter, facing her completely. "I missed you." Conan reminded, taking a step closer. "Everything about you."

Her teary eyes raised to his, with perks of anxiousness. "You missed me?"

A grin spread out on his lips as he let his hands fall on her hips. A cheeky smile formed on Conan's charming face as his coffee-brown eyes reluctantly flickered to hers. A solemn tear rolled down her eyes as she focused on his.

A gentle finger lifted Lilah's face to meet his. Conan's eye poured over her. Scanning her from every thought that had occupied her mind in the last eight months.

"Please," she whispered.

Conan gently brushed the petals of her hair from her face. Delicately sticking it behind her ears. Slowly, consciously, his fingers held onto her nape, staring into her sapphire blue eyes.

"But.. This feels wrong." Lilah breath and a shiver ran through her spine.

Her mind raced with a million thoughts. Not wanting to be lured anymore, by his presence. She'd had enough of him throughout the night even though, they both didn't express their feelings.

It was still there.

"I'm sorry." He muttered and nodded. "But I won't give up on us. Not again."

Conan pressed his lips against Lilah's forehead, and she closed her eyes. Her quivering breath lingered in the air as she swallowed on the swelling lump in her throat. "You're still my favourite person in the world, Lilah. Always will be."

He released her and walked into the bathroom, expecting no response.

When he closed the door, Lilah slid her back to the bed.

'He didn't kiss me. Ugh, that was close.' She cried mentally, noticing her trembling body.

Her heart felt like giving up. She didn't blame it. It suffered from having feelings for the Alpha and his beta. Two separate heartaches in acceptance and rejection in the last eight months. And Lilah felt it was going to take a long time before either of those heart healed.