“Where are we going?” Lia asked with curiosity.

“You will see when we get there,” Edward said and grinned at her.

Edward was driving his car. It was not that far from the hotel and was not outside the city. He prepared food for them and brought some books and board games for that day.

“So, we will go hiking? That’s why you said I should wear this type of clothes. I should be able to guess it.”

Lia frowned that she didn’t realize what her attire was for. Both of them were wearing shirts, long pants, and sneakers.

“And you didn’t have a clue, it works in my favor. I wanted to surprise you,” Edward chuckled.

“We could get to the peak after thirty minutes, and the view from there was spectacular,” Edward informed her.

“Hmmm… sounds interesting. Have you been in that place?” Lia said.

“Nope, this is my first time as well,” Edward said as he extended his hand to help Lia to get up.

“Then, how do you say so? That the view was spectacular?” Lia intrigued him.

“Says on the reviews I saw on the internet,” Edward chuckled, and Lia couldn’t help but laugh as well.

When they got there, Lia was totally in awe, and Edward was glad that she liked it.

Edward said that it was better when the night came because the city lights of Macotta City would light up the darkest night.

“You’re right. It’s beautiful here and so refreshing,” Lia thanked him as she stared at him.

Lia couldn’t help but look away when she felt Edward’s fierce gaze towards her. Her cheeks flushed when he was staring at her.

They ate first, he only brought sandwiches, bread, and fruits, but it was okay for Lia. They spent their time knowing each other, reading the books he brought, and playing board games together.

When they got tired of it, they satisfied themselves by staring at the view in front of them. Then, suddenly Edward uttered a word that caused Lia to be stunned in her place.

“I know, everything is so fast. We just met the other day, and I already said these words to you,” Edward spoke.

“I like you, Lia. Please, don’t question my adoration for you. There was no extent to how long I would love you, but I promised that my love would last. I have never felt this feeling before, this is my first time, but I assure you that I knew it is love which is not comparable to anything,” Edward confessed, and Lia couldn’t look into his eyes anymore.

Lia grew up believing in love, but being in love for just a couple of days was impossible.

Lia wanted to take it slow, while Edward didn’t want to waste time. Lia knew that Edward was being honest with his feelings and to her. But for her, she still couldn’t take the risk.

She wanted to feel of being admired, loved, and she also wanted to reciprocate that feeling. The happiness she’d felt with Edward was hard to believe she could have now.

For her, it was really unbelievable that it was easy to find someone who would love her wholeheartedly.

“When I first saw you, I thought of you as an angel lost on earth. The first time our eyes met, there was a strange feeling that I couldn’t define. But now, I know what I felt, I like you. I adored you. I longed for your presence. I wanted to show my love for you, so please let me.”

Edward stepped forward and was about to kiss Lia, but she stepped back.

“I’m sorry, Edward, but not now,” Lia said bravely.

Lia knew that she was not ready for this. This was not planned, and this was not supposed to happen.

Edward wasn’t aware of what kind of life she had, and what secret lies with her life in New Zealand.

The Lia that she knew was far from the Lia back there. She was afraid he might regret what he felt for her once he found out about the truth.

“Let’s go back. I’m tired,” Lia said without looking at him.

When they got in the car, silence enveloped them. When Edward heard Lia’s apology, he thought that they weren’t on the same page, so he understood.

Edward didn’t want to push through what he wanted, at least for now. He respected her decision, but he knew he wouldn’t give up easily. Not when he already fell hard.

He wouldn’t let go just because the woman she loved didn’t love her back, that was what he thought.

As long as Lia didn’t have a man in her life, he still had a chance. He would show her his love, he would persuade her, and serenade her, or whatever it takes.

When they returned to the hotel, Lia immediately got out of his car without saying anything.

Edward sighed in dismay, he had hoped that he shouldn’t say his confession. He wished that Lia would still talk to him. He wondered if he would still have a chance.

“Oh dear, what happened to you?” Aunt Naneth was shocked when she saw Lia brimming with tears.

“A-Auntie…” Lia muttered while crying. She didn’t know why but her heart felt heavy.

She kept calling her Aunt Naneth, but she couldn’t say what was wrong with her. While her aunt could only hug her when she was in this state.

She didn’t know why she was crying. Did she regret turning Edward down or did she feel overwhelmed with these new things that she couldn’t help but cry.

All she knew was that she was scared, but she couldn’t determine what she feared the most.

Or maybe she knew but she didn’t want to acknowledge it, because if she did, her life would be a mess again.

There was a threat to her life. She was scared that if she loved that man to the fullest, she would endanger him as well.

She couldn’t afford to lose someone again who she would cherish the most.

“Have you finally calmed down, dear?” Her Aunt Naneth asked her when Lia stopped crying.

Lia just nodded, she felt weak after what she did.

“Remember the reason that made your Mom agree for you to have a vacation here, hmm? We can meet her tomorrow. Your Mom said that her friend was already waiting for us. We can stay there for a few days?” Aunt Naneth suggested as she stroked her hair.

“I don’t know what happened between that man and you. When you are crying like that, something bothers you. Maybe staying with your Mom's friend could help you to feel better again,” Aunt Naneth added as Lia silently nodded.

She wanted to say everything to her nanny, but she couldn’t open her mouth.

'I hope I can reciprocate his feelings without worrying about other things.'

They just waited for thirty minutes, and Lia finally drifted to sleep. As soon as she woke up, they would leave immediately and Lia wasn't sure if she'll meet Edward ever again.

Edward was pacing back and forth inside the room. He couldn’t relax knowing that Lia wouldn’t talk to him anymore. He felt bad about the confession he made at the peak.

He brushed his hair harshly as he thought of Lia leaving and would never have a chance of seeing her again.

His head was already painful because of the hangover, but it got worse when he realized that Lia was totally gone.

When he was steady on his post, he inhaled deeply. He went outside and walked towards Lia’s room. He wanted to try one last time and looked if she was there now.

“Lia,” he said softly as he knocked on the door.

“Hey, Lia. If you can hear me, please open the door,” he pleaded.

For the past three days, he had stayed in the hotel. On his first day, he was contemplating whether what he did was the right move or not.

When he decided to talk to her on that day, Lia didn’t show up. He was in front of her door, constantly knocking, and hoped that someone would open the door for him. But there was none.

Second day.

The moment he opened his eyes, he hurriedly got up and washed his face. He went to her door again, but he was welcomed with silence. He sat beside the door and patiently waited for her.

He thought that someone might open the door anytime, so the right thing was to remain there quietly.

He would go back to his room when he was hungry or thirsty.

On the third day, he started to lose hope because no matter how long he waited, no one came or went outside the room.

So he finally got up and went out to drink. He wasted all his worries that night until he temporarily forgot about her.

He knocked on the door again, but no one opened it.

‘Maybe she has already gone back to New Zealand,’ he thought.

He was about to leave when the door opened. Finally, he was mesmerized and surprised when Lia's angelic face showed up.

When she saw Edward at her door, Lia was taken aback, but she immediately smiled at him.

“Hey, Edward. I was about to go to the lobby to call for—” Lia said, but she couldn’t finish when Edward hugged her so suddenly.

Lia felt a little guilty for Edward because she left without saying anything to him. Although it was not her responsibility to tell everything to him after what happened that day, she should have a word with him.

They didn’t have a chance to talk again, so she thought that it was okay to console him by hugging him back.

“I thought I had lost you,” Edward said as he sighed deeply.

“I’m sorry, would you like to come in? So we could talk,” Lia calmly stated.

“Yeah, that’s right. We need to talk.”

Both of them entered the room, and he was welcomed by her nanny and guard. Edward greeted them before they left.

Aunt Naneth told the lady guard to go back to her room, so they could give them privacy.

When Edward saw the guard, he still wondered why Lia needed it, but he was more worried about their talk, so he washed away all his curiosity about it.

When they were the only two left in the living room, Lia felt awkward, while Edward was lost in his words.

Silence embraced them, but after a few minutes…

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry.”

Both of them said at the same time, which made them look at each other. Lia released a low chuckle while Edward scratched his head in embarrassment.

“Go ahead, I’ll listen first,” Edward suggested.

“I apologize if I’m gone for three days. We went to my mom’s friends and spent our days there. I didn’t contact you because I don’t know what to say,” she explained as she played with her fingers.

“It’s okay, I just thought that I won’t be able to see you anymore,” he replied.

But her brows knitted when she heard that. “Of course, it’s not okay. I heard that you were waiting outside my door. Some guests saw you and notified the hotel staff.”

“Is that so? Well, it was my choice, so you don’t need to feel burdened. I’m the one who needs to apologize to you. I became selfish, and I didn’t think about your feelings when I confessed to you,” he said and felt ashamed.

“I’m sorry if I reacted that way, I just didn’t know what to say that time.”

“It’s really fine, maybe I expected too much that you felt the same way. I didn’t think it would ruin the mood and our day as well,” he said as he slowly went to her and held her hand to tell her that it was all good.

It was just Edward felt relieved that she didn’t totally ignore her and set him aside. He still had a chance, so he would take it slow until the right time arrived.

“What about this? To compensate for that day, would you like to go to the beach with me?” Lia initiated, and he was astonished for a second.

He didn’t think that the one who would compromise first was Lia.

“Yeah, that’s great. Let’s do it now,” Edward uttered cheerfully.

“Okay. Then, it settled. I just need to prepare a little, and this time I will be the one who will choose our destination,” she said excitedly.

“Alright, I’ll go back to my room and prepare as well.”

When Edward left her room, she immediately looked at social media to search for the nearest beach they could go to.

She called her nanny to help her prepare the things she would need for their outing. Aunt Naneth was pleased when she saw Lia smiling again.

Three days after they parted ways, Aunt Naneth suggested visiting her mom’s friend.

So she could think carefully about what she wanted to do and what she felt towards that man. Lia agreed with her and didn’t hesitate at all.

When they got there, Lia thought that she would be okay if she were far away from him, but she realized that she missed Edward even though only one day had passed.

Lia wanted to see him as soon as she could. However, she already said that they would stay there for three days. So she spent time thinking about him and thought of buying a gift for Edward.

All of them traveled to the beach for an hour. They reserved a room ahead of time for them to stay.

“Wow, the breeze feels nice,” Lia said the moment she stepped onto the beach.

“It really is,” her aunt seconded. Lia smiled at her, and she was glad that her Aunt Naneth was able to join this time.

“Alright, let’s go to your room and change your clothes. I’ll handle our food, so you two can enjoy yourself,” her aunt told them.

“Thanks, Auntie Naneth. If you need something, you can tell me,” Edward said.

They rented a small villa that could cater to four individuals. Lia picked her room which had a good view of the sea.

She started to undress and changed into a swimsuit. She was wearing a one-piece sky blue swimsuit.

Her curves were in the right places, but she couldn’t help but feel conscious of her body. She was bashful, and many thoughts ran in her head of what Edward would think of her.

When she left the changing room, Edward was already waiting for her. He was only wearing beach shorts, and he was topless.

Lia couldn’t help herself but feel fascinated with Edward’s physique. Edward looked at her with amazement in his eyes, making her feel more conscious.

“You look gorgeous as always.” Lia came back from reality when she heard his voice.

“Thanks, you also looked great,” she complimented him.

They walked towards the beach, dipped in, and started to swim. The seawater was cold, but the sunlight warmed their bodies.

Aunt Naneth was satisfied watching Lia being happy with someone else.

‘Lia already closed her heart to anyone, but that man managed to capture her heart.’ Aunt Naneth thought.

When they got tired, they decided to sit down on the seashore.

They satisfied themselves by watching the sun disappear from their sight as they talked about random things and had some deep conversations.

“I already told you that I have a twin, right?” Lia said.

“Yeah, I remembered that you called her by the name of Mila,” Edward replied.

“She was already dead long ago.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. You don’t need to tell me that if you aren’t comfortable talking about it,” he assured her.

“No, it's okay. I just thought that I might need to share something about what happened to her,” she insisted, so he didn’t have a choice but hear her out.

“I saw her, with my own eyes... On how she died that day. That scene was always vivid on my mind, and I can’t help but despise those people who did it to her.”

Edward was listening intently to her. He was staring at her while she was staring somewhere far as she spoke.

“I’m weak, I just watched her die. I never had the chance to protect her nor save her. Then, I remembered what our mother had told us before. She was my older sister, and she was bound to protect me.”

“But, what about her? Who is going to protect her?” Lia said, and her tears rolled down her face. She lowered her head as she wiped her tears because she didn’t want Edward to see her like that.

“I should have protected her, just like she always does, but I couldn’t. I am useless, I let her die in vain.”

Her tears kept on streaming, it couldn’t stop. Edward went behind her to embrace her. He knew that Lia didn’t want to show this side of her to anyone.

“Don’t punish yourself, it is not you who killed your sister,” he consoled her.

“She is my other half, why did she leave me here alone?” she exclaimed.

Edward couldn’t find the right word to say to her, so he stayed silent. He just listened to her until she was okay. In some way, Edward understood why she was acting that way.

‘Someone important to her lost in her very eyes, but what was she afraid of?’ he thought.

“All I know is that I understand your pain, I also lost my parents when I was a kid. My father died in a car accident, and my mother died of breast cancer. I thought my life ended when they died as well. But I have my brother, I have my auntie who helped us to grow.” Edward spoke.

“And all that wound might leave you scarred, but it will eventually heal when you finally accept it,” he added.

“Lia, what is the scariest thing for you?” he asked.

“Is it to lose someone you love? Is that why you are scared to accept me in your life?” Edward finally voiced it out.

“Y-Yeah, you’re right. I’m scared that if I let other people enter my life, they would end up perishing because they tried to protect me,” Lia told him the truth.

“I won’t. You’re not going to lose me, I promise. Just give me a chance and trust me.”

Edward told her as he turned her around to face her. The determination was visible in his eyes as he waited for her response.

Lia was still doubting, but she couldn’t ignore the fact that she had fallen for him.

“Alright, I will trust you,” she smiled as if she finally saw another light once again.

“Really? Is that true?” Edward was bewildered when he heard that. He thought that Lia would reject her again.

"Yes, let’s give our relationship a chance. I wanted to know how far we will go,” she said with pleasure.

When they returned to their room, they had already broken the news to Aunt Naneth and her lady guard.

Later on, they told their decision to Lia’s mother because they wanted to visit Hamilton Town together without her nanny or lady guard.

“Mom, please! I’ll be safe with Edward,” Lia pleaded for the first time to his mom via facetime.

Aunt Naneth disapproved of it, so Lia called her mother for approval. Edward was beside her to support her.

“I said no, if you wanted to go there, you should at least bring one of them,” her mother said firmly.

“Edward…” she whispered as if she wanted to cry. She looked at her Aunt Naneth with pleading eyes.

“Okay, let me talk to your mother,” Aunt Naneth said.

She took the phone and went to the corner with her and tried to talk it out to her mother.

Aunt Naneth explained everything to her mother and started persuading her. Her aunt saw the happiness she had when she was with Edward.

Her mother sighed in defeat and gave her approval if that made her happy.

Lia rejoiced when Aunt Naneth convinced her mother. So the next day, they went to Hamilton Town.

They both decided to tour around before Lia visited Edward’s school. They walked into the park there and ate different foods that Edward recommended.

When the night came, they stayed in Edward’s apartment. That night, Lia gave it all to him. She didn’t hesitate at all and played into the fire.

When Lia woke up, she felt something in her body that changed. She looked at Edward, and he was sleeping peacefully. Then, she remembered the night that they had shared.

“Lia, still awake?” Edward mumbled. They were already lying on the bed, waiting to fall asleep.

“Yes,” Lia answered shortly.

“Is it okay to kiss you?” Edward asked as they stared at the ceiling.

“If you’re going to do it, please don’t ask me because it’s embarrassing. Just kiss me already,” Lia said, and Edward didn’t waste time.

Edward leaned toward her. He slowly moved his face to her, and when their lips met, it was like the fire inside them lit up.

Edward was kissing her passionately, but all of a sudden, he became aggressive.

Edward bit her lower lips, and his tongue entered her mouth. He was already above her as his hand roamed her body.

Lia shivered from his touch. She released a moan when he touched her in between her thighs with still her undies on.

His kisses traveled from her jaw down to her left. He licked her and bit her neck, leaving her a kiss mark. He undressed her clothes, so her bossom came into view.

Lia’s face reddened because of how Edward stared at her. She was about to hide it, but Edward held her hands over her head, dipped into her, and sucked her breast.

Her body arched with the sensation he was giving her.

Edward twirled his tongue to her crown and bit it for a little, which gave Lia a pleasure she hadn’t experienced before.

He was doing it simultaneously to her peak. At the same time, his other hand removed her underwear swiftly and inserted his finger down there.

Lia gasped when she felt his finger inside her, something was gushing out from her as Edward thrust it faster.

Then, his lips traveled down from her breast until his tongue reached its destination. He licked him down there and made Lia moan his name loudly.

When Lia finally had a release, Edward licked it and didn’t waste any of them. Lia was out of breath, but Edward hadn’t done yet.

He finally inserted his shaft and thrust into her slowly. Lia felt the sting at first . That made her moan in pain, so Edward made his thrust slower and conceded at Lia's pace.

But when Lia got used to it, his movement became hard and fast until both of them reached their peak.

Lia’s face flustered when she remembered it clearly. She tried to move a little, but she was sore down there, so she waited for a minute until she could walk completely.

Edward was still asleep, so she decided to go out for groceries to make their breakfast. Just ten minutes after she went out, Edward woke up.

But as soon as he opened his eyes, he got up abruptly because Lia was out of sight. He looked around his apartment, but he couldn’t see her.

He looked for her in the living room, kitchen, and bathroom, but there were no traces of her.

Edward started to think that he shouldn’t have gone too far, so she wouldn’t leave like that.

He couldn’t control himself when it came to her, but he hoped he did. Edward thought that Lia was against what they did last night, so when morning came, she left.

He returned to his room and looked for his phone to call her guardian in Macotta City. But he stopped in the middle when he saw her things were still there.

Finally, Lia returned to his apartment, and she was welcomed by Edward, who ran toward her while panicking.

“Hey, love. I thought you left me again,” Edward whispered.

“Oh, sorry, I just bought some food for us,” Lia explained.

“Don’t scare me like that. If you are going to leave my side, let me know beforehand. So, I’ll be less worried about you,” Edward said as he cupped her face.

Lia smiled at him and nodded. She could see the true feelings of Edward. She knew that his words were genuine and really loved her.

‘I wish I could stay with you forever.’ she thought.

“Alright, let’s go to the kitchen. Let’s prepare our breakfast together,” Edward said as he pulled her into the kitchen.

Lia was watching Edward’s back as she was being dragged by him. She felt at peace, her worries were forgotten because of him.

The happiness that she never thought that she would feel again was surging throughout her system.

…

After they had eaten, they decided to visit Edward’s school. When they got there, Edward became Lia’s tour guide as they roamed around.

Lia felt fantastic because she was like a simple girl who didn’t need a bodyguard with her.

When Edward spotted his colleagues, he called them and introduced Lia as his girlfriend.

“Lia, these are my friends named Lorenz, Janice, Lily, and Greg. Everyone, this is Lia, and we are dating,” Edward spoke, and everyone got amazed when he got himself a girlfriend.

They exchanged their greetings, and Lia was a bit shy because this was her first time meeting other people and being acquainted with them.

“Is that true? She’s not your cousin, right?” Janice asked ridiculously.

“I thought you would die a virgin, man,” Lorenz said.

Everyone was making fun of Edward. They didn’t think that he had an interest in a woman. But they were correct, not until he met Lia.

He fell in love at first sight, and he was sure that she was the one for him.

Edward invited them to eat with her, and they gladly accepted. Their lunch turned out to be fun, and most of the time they were being teased by his friends.

After the day ended, they went home together. Edward wished that this would be the scene every day.

They could be together for the whole day, or they could be apart for a few hours, but at the end of the day, they would go home together.

“Thank you for this, Edward. I will treasure my days with you,” she said genuinely.

“You are always welcome, and you will get tired cherishing our moments because this is only our start, and we will be together endlessly,” Edward said to her as he kissed her good night.

When Lia closed her eyes, her smile remained on her lips as she remembered what had happened today.

As the day passed, Edward decided to tour her around Hamilton Town. Every time she was with him, that was why she felt normal.

She was like an ordinary person who had no complications.

Every minute and hour that she was with him was magical. It felt surreal to the point she thought that she was only dreaming.

…

“You’re going back to your school the next day tomorrow, right?” Lia wondered.

Lia was looking for something to watch while Edward was busy preparing their snacks.

“Yes, but don’t worry. I’ll keep you updated,” he winked at her, and she couldn’t help but laugh.

“I’m not worrying at all,” she said as she bit her lips, trying to suppress her laughter.

“What are you saying? Don’t you worry about me and didn’t have me love me at all?” Edward said as he pouted.

Lia thought that Edward looked cute when he acted that way.

“We don’t know,” Lia shrugged her shoulder, and Edward took her remarks seriously.

“What!?” He exclaimed, and his face darkened.

He finished preparing the food and went to the living room where Lia was. He moved toward her with dangerous intent.

He was thinking of something dangerous that could trigger the burning desire inside of them

Lia felt it and got up from where she was sitting, but Edward caught her in his arms.

“Would you like to repeat your words, hmm?” he whispered in her ears, which made her quiver.

“I said, we don’t know,” she repeated it.

“No, I know that I’ve been in love with you since we met. How about you?” He said and started leaving her neck with feathery kisses.

She couldn’t help but feel good.

“A-Ah, yes,” she answered him, but it sounded like a moan.

“I couldn’t hear you,” he said as he sucked his neck even more.

“I love you,” she said as if she was surrendered.

“I love you too,” he said and stopped what he was doing and kissed her lips.

She couldn’t help but smack him because she was caught in fire. But Edward only grinned at her.

They spent their day watching movies, eating together, and talking about random things they could think of.

It was a life that she never imagined she would experience.

…

“Edward,” Lia called him, and he had just finished his bath.

“Hmm?” He hummed as he walked toward her, then he saw Lia holding something for him.

“What is this?”

“A gift, I bought it those days that we were apart.” Then, Edward opened the box and saw a watch.

“Have you thought about me that day?” He grinned as he thanked her.

“Yes, I did. I kept on thinking of you when we were away from each other,” she said and nodded.

Edward was surprised by her honesty because sometimes Lia didn’t want to admit her own feelings.

On the contrary, Lia’s eyes flowed with tears because she knew to herself that this day would be the last time, and Edward didn’t have an idea that she was crying because of it.

Edward cupped her face and started to kiss her passionately. Lia was willing to give herself over and over again to the man she loved.

As their lips sealed together, she couldn’t help but wish that this moment would last.

When Lia fastened their rhythm, Edward was taken aback, but he gave her what he wanted.

Lia’s hand started to wander on his body, and it felt like his skin was burning with the sensation as Edward’s lips went down to her neck and sucked it.

She sat on his lap and felt his thing grow as she moved her hips desperately. Her body was longing for something she wouldn’t imagine she would seek for.

Edward groaned as she moved faster than earlier. He stopped her movement and undressed in one swift.

No matter how many times he saw her naked body, he couldn’t help but be mesmerized by every bit of her.

He slowly dipped his head and put her peak in his mouth. He gave attention to both of them and played with his tongue, and all she could do was whimper in pleasure.

Lia was chanting his name over again, and it sounded like a lullaby to his ears which caused him to lose his patience and enter her deep cave to ravish her endlessly.

Edward’s thrust was deep, hard, and slow as they stared at each other’s eyes with flickering flames.

“Let’s get married,” Edward said, and Lia’s lips parted when she heard.

“Marriage? Are we going too fast?” Lia questioned him, but he only smiled.

“Yes, I’ll marry you whenever or whatever the place you want. But promise me that we'll still be together until I come back to our homeland,” he stated.

She thought that it would be a dream come true, but sadly after this vacation, her life would be back to the way it was before.

“When I graduate from college, I will return to New Zealand. Then, I will look for you and marry you,” Edward said with sincerity in his eyes.

Lia was too overwhelmed that she just hugged Edward and didn’t give him an answer.

Her tears rolled down her face at the thought of being away from Edward when she went back to New Zealand.

‘I wish I could be with him longer,’ she thought.

Before they fell asleep, Edward whispered in her ears, which made her fully awake.

“I love you so much, my Dahlia Gale. I love you,” Edward said as he drifted to sleep.

When Lia heard that, she couldn’t help but quiver in fear. It was all because her life started to be miserable five years ago.

Those words... It was the same words as her twin’s last words that kept hunting in her dreams.