To The Lovable You

She had been like a storm once—even in stilettos—Seraphina Garcia de la Vega was that much of a woman who had a face that launched a thousand ships but a personality such that it could sink them all. There was beauty, sculptured in a manner that could make even the cruelest heart beat a little faster. But, exceptionally sharp, icy-cold tongue, and unforgettable demeanor made her social landmine, treading anyone dangerously close. Her heart had once stood in love and hope, but now it lay shattered into a billion pieces. The betrayal was so agonizing that such a dismal trust seeped deep into her life. Like an unyielding barrier now, strong and unbreakable with no space for weakness much less love. Enter Cassian Lorenzo Cruz Monterrey. If there was a fairytale forbidden romance about him, then this was the real version. Polite-heartbreaker-boy-with-golden -heart-charm-dangerously irresistible. He was the one type of man you'd give everything up just to forget your troubles with, rushing into this heaven just for a fleeting moment. But fleeting was not what Cassian had in mind, he was all into Sera because he was fascinated by her fiery spirit and intoxicated by the vulnerability that flickered beneath the icy facade. He was Cassian, he would just be an annoyance that chiseled on Sera's defenses. He would look straight through those carefully constructed walls and know that there was a soul wounded beneath. He would shower her with a deadly, yet sweet form of love, a combination of intensity and tenderness so heavinly terrifying but at the same time addicting. He was a storm in the midst of emotions, tempestuous indeed like that which raged within her. Sera was convinced that Cassian was just a player, mask with his polite boy facade, in the game of love, another charmer looking for a conquest and she fought him every step of the way. But Cassian was different. Raw and unpredictable and utterly captivating. He had the power to make her laugh and challenge her perspectives but above all, he saw good in her even when she couldn't see it herself. And she fought back slowly, tentatively beginning to crack. The walls that she had so carefully built began to crumble away to reveal the woman she had buried. Cassian's love was much like a dangerous potion, so thrilling, and petrifying in the same breath, very intoxicating, a wicked mixture of passion and pandemonium within her that both terrified and gave her heightened sense of excitement for him. One night, under the flattering light of a moonlit sky, Sera finally gave in, revealing her fears, pains, and vulnerability to Cassian. He swept her into his wild intensity and let promises that echoed with dangerous allure from his lips pierce through the silence of the night. Much like how he took her away, Cassian disappointed equally fast. This time, the stabbing pain of betrayal struck deeper: the betrayer had seen her at her most vulnerable. Sera would have to mend the broken pieces again, her heart being even shattered more before. She would dare to believe, wish, and love again. And now, all she had was the bitterness of betrayal, along with the stark realization that even the most beautiful storms would leave behind nothing but wreckage. "I'm sorry." Fists clenched, I smiled at him. "Why didn't you just die?"