Chapter 834 Deep and True

Elias let out a dry chuckle. "Do I need to have some hidden agenda to marry you? Couldn't it be just because I like you?"

Ashley stared at him, her expression blank.

"You like me?" she asked.

"Why wouldn't I?" Elias shot back, his eyes wild with defiance.

He continued, "What? You think you're not attractive enough? Don't have a good body? That you couldn't catch a man's eye? Or do you think I'm so desperate to marry you because I had nowhere else to go?

"What about Will and Jayden? Did you think they all just vanished off the face of the earth? That they couldn't give me a place to crash for a few days? You think I came all the way to your place just to cling to you?"

Ashley's mind spun at his sudden barrage of words. "What are you trying to say?"

Elias stepped closer, closing the distance between them.

He was tall, and the narrow bathroom only amplified his presence. He cast a shadow over Ashley, forcing her to focus on nothing but him.

"What I'm saying is that I've been into you since I was a teen. I wanted you. Wanted to kiss you, to have you in bed with me. Does that make it clear enough?" Elias said, each word sharp and deliberate.

Ashley bit down on her lip, speechless.

He continued, "If you still don't believe me, let me make it clearer. I was 16 the first time I saw you. You'd just gotten into college, and my parents invited you over for dinner.

"You were walking in the garden with my mom, wearing that white floral dress with your hair pinned up on one side. I remember the wind blowing through the leaves as you looked up at me."

His voice dropped to a low, intense murmur, and his gaze darkened. "That night, it was my first time having that type of dream."Belonging to .

Ashley couldn't remember any of it since it had happened so long ago.

Elias cupped her face in his hands. "The doctors said that even though you were in a coma, you could still sense things around you. For three years, I told you 'I love you' every single day. Did you hear me?"

Ashley tried to look away, but Elias firmly turned her face back

He said, "Or do you think that I cheated on you? Every time I went out or came home, I told you everything about what I did. You should know by now that I haven't been with anyone else. It's always been you."

Ashley pushed his hands away, her voice cold and unyielding as ice. "No matter what you say, I don't feel anything for you anymore. I don't want to stay in this marriage."

"I'm not sure what you mean by 'don't feel anything'. Are you talking about not feeling that spark, or are you saying there's no physical attraction?" Elias asked, leaning casually against the doorframe.

He let out a soft chuckle. "If it's the first one, that's pretty normal. Even though I love you like crazy, I don't get butterflies every time I see you.

"That kind of excitement is more for falling in love at first sight or when you first meet someone. We've been together for a long time. If my heart still races like that every day, I'd say that's a medical issue."

Ashley remained silent.

He continued, "And if you're talking about physical attraction, we haven't tried that out yet, have we? So how would you know?"

Ashley didn't respond.

Elias's lips curved into a sly smile. "Want to find out, Ash?"

Elias' unshakable attitude momentarily threw off Ashley.

As she remained silent, his smile faded. He closed the distance between them and leaned in to kiss her.

It started quickly and almost aggressively. However, the touch softened the moment his lips felt hers.

Despite Elias' teasing, he was still afraid that Ashley would push him away deep down.

He pressed his lips gently against hers, waiting a few seconds to see if she would resist. When she didn't, he slowly slid his tongue out. He traced the outline of her lips tentatively, as though a puppy seeking approval.

Ashley's eyelashes fluttered, and she clenched her hands tightly at the sides.

Elias couldn't hold back any longer. He cupped the back of her head, pried her lips apart, and deepened the kiss. He explored her and tasted her as their breaths mingled.

Their kiss was as intense as it was genuine.