SWNOVELXO Chapter 526: It’s your turn.
Ryan's eyes had lost their brightness long before, but today, they even lost the little trace of light that had remained.
Arwen's resoluteness not just hurt him —it broke him.
He knew he had only himself to blame. He had lost her because of the choices he made.
But still … somewhere deep inside, he wished he could turn the things back.
He craved to have a chance to make things right …
"Mr. Foster," Emyr's voice came from the side, snapping Ryan out of his spiralling thoughts. He gestured toward the door, polite but firm. "Please!"
Ryan stared at him for a moment before his fingers curled into fists at his sides. He didn't say a word.
Without a backward glance, he turned and walked to the door.
But just as he reached it, Arwen's voice rang out again, "I hope this is the last time you dared to overstep your place."
He paused.
"From the next time," she continued, each word deliberate and laced with frost, "I hope not to see you anywhere around my husband. He has become my bottom line. And I am never in favor of getting my bottom line challenged. Keep this clear, hereafter."
Ryan gritted at her words, feeling wretched inside.
Without saying another word or staying another second, he left, pacing away as fast as her could.
Emyr also gave a polite bow to them and left the room, closing the door after him and leaving Arwen and Aiden alone in the room.
"Bottom line!" Aiden echoed, breaking the silence that had settled in the room. "When did I become one?"
Arwen had her back to him. When she heard him question that, she closed her eyes for a moment as if to anchor all her emotions and fears that she had felt in just the last few minutes of the time.
Then, turning to him, she pushed him back with all her force. Her hand pressed against his clavicles.
She didn't see what was behind …
She didn't care for them to fall hard on the floor.
She just acted on the pure instinct that she felt inside. The instinct and need to feel and confirm everything was still alright. Perfect and beautiful as before.
Aiden hadn't seen that coming. So, when it happened, he was momentarily caught off guard. His pupils dilated, and the first reflex was his arm wrapping around her waist, making sure she remained in his arms.
Even if they fell, he would take it on himself to keep her safe … unharmed.
But fortunately, they didn't fall on the floor, or hit any uneven surface.
The force of Arwen made Aiden fall back on the plush couch —with him at the bottom and her, flushed against him on the top. Their faces mere inches apart.
He didn't understand her reaction for the first time. His gaze stared at her, trying to search for anything that would explain, but she didn't give him any time for that.
Her lips came crashing down onto his as if to claim and confirm something through it.
And he felt it then.
Her anxiety.
He paused for a moment, but then, without thinking about it much, he let her take what she was desperately seeking from him.
He didn't know exactly what.
But he did know how to offer.
Aiden's arm tightened around her waist, keeping her close while his fingers went to weave into her hair, gently to caress her scalp … to soothe her.
He kissed her back, matching her frevor, giving in to her demands … with everything he had.
"Weren't you confident moments ago? What scared you so much then?" he asked, and Arwen paused at that.
She didn't pull away, but her fingers that were clenched at his shirt fabric loosened and then tightened again under her grip. As if she were trying hard for it to make sense.
Yes, she was scared.
She didn't let it surface on her face, but inside, she was scared.
Scared that Ryan did or said something that might make her lose him.
She knew … it was foolish to think that because Ryan held no such standing between them.
But still … she couldn't help it.
And hence, she wanted to feel that everything between them still remained unchanged.
Ryan's appearance didn't snatch away anything that she came to hold precious to herself.
Him.
Not answering him, she leaned in to press another kiss.
But he turned his face right at the moment, making her peck at the corner of his lips.
"You hadn't answered even the precious question," he said, letting his lips tug up in a small smirk. Turning his eyes back at her, he repeated, "When did I become your bottom line?"
Arwen's brows drew together as she efficiently traced the hints of tease playing over his lips.
"It couldn't be that hard to tell. Could it be?" he raised his brows, evidently waiting for her to tell him about it.
"You want to know?" she asked, her brows jutting with all seriousness.
Aiden stared at her for a moment, studying her eyes before nodding. "Of course," he said, "I would love to know when I became so important to you."
"You won't be surprised?" she asked back, and he shook his head, humming in refusal.
Not even if I would say 'since ever'."
He paused, repeating, "Since ever?"
Arwen nodded. "Yes. Since ever," she answered, pausing briefly before continuing again. "You have become important to me from the very first day itself, Aiden. If you ask me how, I wouldn't be able to tell you. If you ask me why —again, I would have no answer. But since the day you stepped into my life, you were important."
She chuckled softly as if humoring herself. "It happened so naturally that even I could realize the exact time and process. It simply felt like it was meant to be like that since always."
"Sometimes, it feels like you were meant to be important to me … always."
Aiden's heart thrummed inside his chest when he heard her accepting what they had, even after forgetting it all.
They stared into each other's eyes … couldn't help but fall deeper in that moment.
Only after a beat did Arwen blink, and said, "Now that I have answered your question, it's your turn."