Forever and Always (English Version)

Chapter 21:"When the World Stood Still"

They both froze.

It wasn’t planned. Not calculated. Not even fully conscious.

Just a breath—a heartbeat—of stillness.

It had happened before. Once in the attic. Again at the club. And then, that unforgettable night when time itself seemed to melt away between them. Every kiss with Alex had felt like falling—like diving headfirst into a place without air but full of feeling. Every scent, every sound, every brush of his skin carved itself into her memory, as though the universe kept etching his presence deeper into her soul.

And then—just like that—the world remembered to spin.

Erika pulled away first, breathless, her eyes wide in disbelief. “I—I was aiming for your cheek!”

Alex blinked, clearly stunned, his lips parted in something between amusement and wonder. “Well… you missed.”

A gust of wind swept between them, sending snowflakes swirling like fragile confetti, twirling through the air in silent mockery. It was too cinematic, too cruel—like the world was laughing softly at their chaos. But Erika barely noticed the cold. Her face felt like it was on fire, her chest too tight, her heart pounding so loudly it drowned out everything else.

“Did you feel that too?” Alex asked, his voice barely above the wind, soft but sure, like a confession he didn’t know how to make.

Erika’s throat tightened. “Huh?”

He didn’t answer immediately. His eyes searched hers with quiet intensity, like he was trying to find something he didn’t even know how to name. Then, after a beat, he gave a small, almost sheepish shrug. “Let’s go inside. It’s freezing out here.”

They stepped back into the apartment, and silence followed them in like a shadow. It filled the air between them—thick, delicate, and brimming with all the things they still couldn’t say. Erika stood near the door, rooted to the spot. Alex leaned against the kitchen counter, arms crossed, jaw tight, as if trying to hold himself together.

He looked at her again—really looked—and asked, “What?”

She blinked. “I said… everything.”

His brow furrowed. “Everything what?”

She hesitated, the words burning behind her teeth. “I felt… everything. Just now. Every time we kiss—it’s like my senses are on fire. I hear everything. Smell everything. Feel the ground, the air. It’s overwhelming and grounding at the same time. I don’t even know if that makes sense.” She exhaled sharply, embarrassed. “God, I shouldn’t have said that.”

He didn’t laugh. Didn’t blink. Then, like a decision had just been made inside him, he pushed away from the counter and took a step toward her. His eyes were darker now—stormier.

“I feel it too, Pepper,” he said, his voice a low hum of truth. “And I’ve been longing to feel it again.”

Before she could speak, he was there—close, warm, real—and he kissed her.

It wasn’t just a kiss.

It was everything.

Everything they hadn’t said. Everything they had swallowed for months. It was longing and ache and unspoken history. The scent of casserole still lingered in the air. Snow dusted the windows. Ed Sheeran’s Photograph played quietly from her phone like a cruel joke or divine timing. But all she could feel was him. His breath. His hands. His desperation. His heartbeat, pounding in sync with hers.

The kiss deepened. Her knees buckled, and he caught her without hesitation, his hands firm on her waist, pulling her gently but insistently against him. He kicked the door shut with a soft thud. The sound echoed like a choice—final, irreversible.

“I’ve been dying to do that,” he whispered against her lips, his breath warm against her skin. “And I want to do it again. And again.”

Her hands trembled. “My God, Alex… what are we doing?”

He kissed her again—slower now, softer. This kiss was like a question, and an answer, and a beginning all at once. “Kissing,” he murmured.

Her pulse pounded. “Best friends don’t kiss, Alex.”

He didn’t hesitate. “Then maybe it’s time we stop being just friends.”

The words sliced through the silence like lightning. Erika stepped back, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Wait—what?”

“Us,” he said, stepping toward her again. “I’m serious, Pepper. I mean it.”

“Are you serious?” Her voice cracked, a tremor running through her. “You—Alex—a month ago, you couldn’t even look at me. You made me feel like I didn’t matter. And now you’re telling me you want this? Why now?”

His shoulders dropped, and the weight of his guilt seemed to catch up with him. “I made a mistake,” he said softly. “I was hurt. And angry. But I never stopped caring. I’ve been carrying this around for so long, afraid to tell you, afraid I’d lose you completely.”

She felt like the floor had vanished beneath her. Her voice was unsteady. “Then tell me what you feel. All of it. No more games, Alex. No more dancing around it. I’ve had enough of half-truths.”

Alex moved closer, lifting a hand to cup her face. His touch was reverent, trembling. His thumb brushed her cheek, as if he were trying to memorize her. “I love you.”

The words landed like a bomb.

“I don’t mean in that easy, casual, we’ve-known-each-other-forever kind of way,” he added. “I love you the way Romeo loved Juliet. The way Edward loved Bella. The way Popoy loved Basha.”

A tear slipped down her cheek before she could stop it. She couldn't speak. How many nights did she dream this would happen? And how many mornings did she wake up feeling empty as she faced the reality? Those were words she longed to hear from him while she was missing him.

“But you didn’t even want to marry me,” her voice broke. The pain returned like a phantom limb. “You were so eager to leave me when I wanted to hold on to you.”

His eyes closed for a beat. “I didn’t want to marry you like that, Pepper. You were using me to get back at Lance. And that wrecked me. I was so damn jealous. I couldn’t stand the idea of being a rebound. Or worse—just a distraction.”

Her jaw clenched. Now, it finally made sense. The hurt and anger she saw in his eyes that night he decided to leave. “You think I did it for him?”

“Didn’t you?” His voice cracked.

“No!” she shouted, her voice trembling. “I did it for you. I was terrified when I found out you were leaving. I thought if I didn’t do something—something big and stupid and reckless—I’d lose you forever.”

Alex flinched, her words slicing deep.

“I didn’t care about Lance,” she continued, barely breathing. “I cared about you. But you left anyway. And worse, you left angry.”

“I thought you didn’t care,” he admitted, his voice breaking. “I thought I didn’t matter to you.”

Her hands clenched at her sides. “Why didn’t you say something? Why didn’t you fight for me?”

He stepped closer, his voice raw. “Because I thought if I did, you’d hate me. I was scared, Pepper.”

She turned her face away, but he reached for her again, gently turning her chin back to him.

“Do you love me?” he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

She didn’t answer right away. But her eyes said it all.

“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t,” she finally said.

And then—he kissed her again. A kiss that shattered the dam holding back years of longing and pain and confusion. A kiss that stripped away everything that wasn’t real and left only truth.

Her walls crumbled.

And she kissed him back, fiercely, desperately—pouring into him everything she had been afraid to admit. Her hands clung to him like she was afraid he’d vanish, her heart racing, screaming the words her lips couldn’t form.

I love you, Alex. I love you. I’ve always loved you.

And as if he heard the silent cry of her soul, he breathed against her lips, “I love you more, my sweet Pepper.”

He wrapped her in his arms, burying his face in her shoulder. For a long, still moment, they just held each other, swaying slightly as if anchored by nothing but the rhythm of their hearts.

No more pretending.

No more walls.

No more turning back.