212 Certain Feelings

I had no idea why I was in love with Ace. There were many things that were very unusual about the circumstances of how we met and how our relationship started. On top of that, there were countless obstacles in our way, and nothing seemed simple even on a very good day. However, in that moment, I truly felt no regrets at all. If anything, I had never felt as certain of my feelings or him as I did in that moment. It could have been my optimistic genes acting out of order, but I truly felt and believed that we would be together forever despite everything.

I really love Ace...so much...

“Rina...?” Ace called my name softly.

“Hmm?” I made a questioning sound when I finally focused my attention on him again.

“Stop spacing out. The sun has set. Let’s go in to clean up and then let’s start dinner,” Ace suggested.

“Oh, right...ok...” I readily agreed.

His large hand on my head ruffled my wet hair before he shook his head a little at me. Ace took my hand in his before leading me back toward the building. The first day of our trip was already coming to an end. Time really flew by too fast when we were having fun. The best moments never lasted and perhaps that was what made them seem so beautiful and precious. Instead of dreading the passing of time, I decided to take a guess at what would be served for dinner instead.

Showering and getting changed into a simple white long linen dress made me feel like I really was on a holiday at the beach. Now that the sun had dipped below the horizon, the beach and the sea were dark save for the light from the lamppost close to the beach. The cool wind blowing against my face and bare arms felt like a long-awaited reward that I deserved after working so hard.

“What about dinner out on the terrace?” Ace suggested as he came to stand next to me on the balcony.

.....

I leaned forward a little as I rested my arms on the railing of the balcony. After taking in a deep breath that smelled of the sea and letting it out, I turned to nod at Ace in agreement. He flashed me a charming smile that made my chest feel immediately tight. Although we’d been together for a while now, I still wasn’t used to dealing with the effects of his charm and I wondered if a day would come when I would get used to it.

“Isn’t the balcony a little too small for that, though?” I asked with slight worry.

I could see us fitting a table for two here but there wasn’t that much room for us to move about. It would just be cramped and strange to dine here. I didn’t know what the staff would think about serving us food here either.

“There’s a much larger terrace on the uppermost floor of the building, dummy...” Ace said as he narrowed his eyes at me.

“Oh...I see...” I murmured.

“Come on. I already told the staff to set up our seats there. Also, I took the liberty to order us some food,” Ace said as he tugged on my wrist and led me into the building.

“I’m the one who should be organizing this trip so why are you stepping in...” I complained mockingly.

“Well, obviously because you were taking too long in the shower before. That and also because you refused to let me shower with you...” Ace replied while he mocked me with his mocking complaint.

Oh, was that really the reason?

I wanted to laugh at how adorable Ace was acting. Sometimes it was hard to believe that he was quite older than me. If I wasn’t wrong, we’re close to 10 years apart in age. I didn’t pay attention to that much because I didn’t think that it mattered, and I still believe that it doesn’t.

Ace was right about the terrace being much larger on the upper floor. It was also quite windy, and I found that extra refreshing. The staff did an outstanding job in setting up a dining table for us while also adding in a candle that made the atmosphere even more romantic.

“This way, My Lady...” Ace said a little teasingly before he smiled charmingly at me.

He offered me his hand and then wrapped an arm around my waist before leading me to my seat at the dining table. I really felt like a little lady for a moment when he pulled out my chair for me and helped me take my seat. His gentlemanly gesture made my heart skip a beat and my chest feels tight. Ace took the seat opposite me at the dining table. The sea was dark but the countless stars that sparkled in the sky above us made up for the view of the ocean.

“Thank you, Ace...” I thanked him.

“The stars are really pretty tonight. It’s a shame that we can’t see stars like this from the city center,” Ace said as he followed my gaze up toward the sky.

“You’re right. I wish I could see the stars shining like this every day. They look like precious jewels in the sky,” I murmured in bliss.

The stars that shone and twinkled above us gave me hope. Coming on this trip was definitely the right move and I felt like we had gotten much closer in the span of only one day. The staff came to serve us food and drinks and then we were left alone to enjoy each other’s company.

The food tasted even better than the lunch that we had. I wasn’t certain if it was just the food or perhaps the fact that I was in such a jolly mood that made everything seem to taste extra delicious and appetizing. Although I made an agreement with Ace not to talk about work, I couldn’t help but wonder how his plans for expanding the companyweres going. The timeline was a couple of years in the future and not that much time had passed since he made the deal with his father. Even though I knew all that, I still felt very curious about what he had in mind.

historical

–To be continued...