134 Unexpected

Seeing Liz walk through the doors of the hotel, Will stopped fidgeting in place and just…stared.

She was beautiful as always, but right now, something seemed different.

The moment she saw him, her face lit up with a smile of such radiant joy that he felt as if he were being smothered by a warm, fuzzy feeling.

This was unprecedented, because of the fact that he was usually in a cold place where warmth was out of reach.

However, right now, that warmth was so close – so close, that if he could just reach out, he might be able to touch it and feel it again after so long.

When he had heard from her on the cell that she had been downgraded to economy, he had felt a wave of anger that was usually reserved for much more serious situations.

It was then that he had realized just how important Liz had already become for him.

Without hesitation, he had contacted the officials in the airport and set up that meeting with Henry, stopping at nothing to make sure that the wrong would be righted.

He just couldn't handle the thought that she might have to settle with doing nothing. As someone whose job was to accurately analyze the tone when people spoke, he had been able to tell that she was unhappy.

Of course, he had felt a little doubt, as he knew that she was someone strong who did not need him to solve her problems. However, he had made a judgment call to intervene in this matter anyway.

The roses were actually meant to be an apology in case she was angry, but seeing that amazing smile, Will felt happy that he had done the right thing.

Wait… He was feeling happy?

This, in itself, was something that needed celebrating.

He knew that ever since that fateful moment when he had been shattered, happiness like this was something that had been removed from him indefinitely.

Now, even though he was still that shattered man, he felt excited when he understood that there was actually someone who made him happy once again.

Seeing Liz run towards him, he was about to say something while handing out the roses, but he stopped when she suddenly bent forward.

He felt a soft, wet feeling on his cheek, which sent sparks of electricity coursing throughout his whole body.

Alas, it lasted only for a second, but just as he was about to feel disappointed, he felt himself be enveloped in an embrace so comfortable that he closed his eyes instinctually.

The roses were pressed between their bodies, and when Will stopped holding them and hugged back, they stayed there.

The hug lasted for all of a few seconds, but for both of them, it felt as if time had slowed down.

Liz could feel his heartbeat, and Will could feel her's.

As both of them realized that the other's heart had sped up frantically, they blushed in sync, but hugged even tighter, as if they couldn't get enough of the comfort that came from feeling themselves in the other's arms.

Liz was the first to step back, as she didn't even know what had come over her.

When she did, she felt Will's arms on her back pulling her towards him again, making her once again feel his body against hers, which felt so perfect that it made her regret not feeling it before.

However, realizing what he had done unconsciously, Will also let go and stepped back.

This time, they separated from each other, and the roses that had been between them all this time fell to the floor.

Suddenly, both of them bent down and started picking them up, but they couldn't even raise their heads, as if they were too embarrassed to look at each other.

Liz broke the silence first, saying, "Th-thank you. For what you did. And for the roses. I-I'll see you tomorrow at work."

She couldn't take it anymore. It had all been too sudden, and she couldn't even comprehend everything that was going through her mind right now.

More than anything, she kept thinking back to that feeling of being held, of being protected, and of knowing that nothing could hurt her in the world if she was in his hands.

Not hearing any answer from Will, she finally looked up to see that his eyes were locked on her.

Wait… No. His eyes weren't on her. Instead, they were on someone behind her.

Turning around, Liz widened her eyes when she saw Keren standing there with a broad smile on her face.

This was the last nail in the coffin. Blushing an even deeper shade of maroon, Liz quickly got up and started walking in the direction of the elevator to get to her room.

The last thing she heard before getting on it was Keren slapping Will on the back and saying, "Dear God, brother. And here I thought I would surprise you two by coming here. Guess I was the one to be surprised. I'm proud of you!"

….

A few minutes later, Liz found herself standing in front of the full-length mirror in her room while looking at herself.

Again and again, she remembered how it had felt to be in his arms.

Of course, this also reminded her of the fact that she was the one who had initiated the hug.

She had just been so happy due to the feeling of being cared for even when he wasn't there, and she had become overwhelmed by the desire to hug him.

However, what now? What was she supposed to say to him? Had she moved too soon? Had she spooked him?

Just as she was about to panic once again, she heard a knock on her door and saw a letter pushed into the room from gap beneath.

Opening it, she saw a sentence written in a fluid handwriting, which made all negative thoughts flow out of her head.

"Good night.

-William"