After a relatively short drive, I found myself in the front of Bella’s apartment building. One of those luxury skyscraper ones, where she owned the top two floors. The penthouse was for her personal use, while the floor directly below housed her personal team of bodyguards.

I pressed the button on the intercom.

“It’s me,” I said and looked into the camera.

The foyer door opened, and I proceeded to the elevator. I entered the floor number, as well as the required password, into the panel and the cabin started moving upward. Hm, to be honest, I felt a bit impatient to meet Bella again. A really strange feeling I was entirely too unfamiliar with.

The elevator with its passenger, me, arrived at the designated floor. Yet another door barred my way. I pushed the button of another intercom and looked towards the camera. A brief moment later, I heard the clicking sound of the opening lock.

I pulled the door and walked in. And the first thing that came into my field of view was the vision of an effectively naked Bella. Oh, of course there was a short silk bathrobe draped over her shoulders, but it didn’t do much to hide her gorgeous form.

She knew me very well, and I, arguably, knew her even better. This was a clear provocation and open invitation. But, to be honest, right that moment I couldn’t care less. My rationale just broke after seeing her. Bella was here. Right in front of my eyes. So beautiful. So close. And so… alive.

I pinned her to the wall, seizing her lips in a hungry kiss, my hands already dancing across her body. Exploring, touching, caressing. Trying to confirm the reality of what was happening. The familiar curves, the smooth feeling of the skin. The warmth of her embrace I missed so much.

My hand finally found its way between Bella’s legs, and, my word, she was so wet. Why wouldn’t she be? It was a part of our usual game. We fought, now we were making up, and it would devolve into a madness of passion and lust. Maybe with a sprinkle of the fight for who is the dominant one this time in the cycle.

I gathered all of my leftover willpower, and broke the kiss, causing Bella to let out a guttural sound in protest. I took off my hoodie, then pants and boxers, without breaking eye contact. Bella stared at me with a mix of curiosity at my actions, anticipation, and a lot of heat.

There was a lot I wanted to say. There was a lot I would like to hear from her. But it wasn’t the time. Yet.

I lifted her bridal style, eliciting a surprised yelp from the stunning woman, and carried her over to the bedroom. The general layout of the condo was still the same as ever. On the way there, our kiss resumed, even more passionate than before.

As I approached the bed, my last vestiges of self-control started to leave me again. I threw Bella on the bed, and she looked up at me with a challenge. And lust.

Usually, I would’ve left her a leeway, a fair chance to compete. But not this time. Some sort of gut feeling told me that I needed to win, and overwhelmingly at that. It was never all that important before, why now? Don’t know, don’t care either.

***

“That was totally unfair!” I heard a voice from below.

“Mmm. Sure.” I easily agreed.

“Even I, myself, wasn’t aware of half of these spots,” Bella complained again.

“Yeah, I had a lot of time and practice to find them,” I confirmed.

I felt incredibly relaxed at the moment. I won by a landslide. Even though it took me a few hours to make this stubborn bitch to finally give in. I looked down, at the very miffed looking Bella, who was currently blowing me. Maybe I could've bought her mock displeasure, if not for the content, almost happy look in her eyes.

I reached my hand and took the loose strand of hair from her face.

“Dear,” I called out.

“Hm?” I got an answer.

“You know, there is something I wanted to say to you for a long time. The last time around, I never got the chance to say those words. I spent a long time thinking about it over and over. And it was one of the very few regrets I’ve ever had,” I told her. “ And now I’m not even sure if I should say it, to be frank. So, I'll let you decide if you want to hear it.”

I looked at Bella, who tilted her head, thinking it over. Then she nodded.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

“You know me very well. And I know you even better,” I looked into her eyes. “For what it’s worth, coming from someone like me. I want you in my life. One way or another. And, maybe, I could even learn how to love you.”

I watched as a tear rolled down her cheek as she froze still. I kept my silence, waiting for her response.

Her response was simple. Bella lurched upward, latching onto me in a crushing hug, burying her face into my chest. I felt her tears dropping onto my pecs, while she whispered a long string of something that did sound like ‘yes’.

I gently caressed her back, not knowing what to say, and even if there was something for me to say at all. It was a spur of the moment decision, and I admittedly didn’t put much thought into the aftermath. It wasn’t as if I would do a full turnaround in my ways. There is also the matter of Olivia. Fuck.

A ping of a new message took me out of my train of thoughts. Hm, when did I bring my phone over? I reached out my free hand to grab it and took a look.

The new message was spam. But there were a few missed ones from Olivia, dated to a few hours earlier.

Olivia: [Oof]

Olivia: [It was P.E.]

Olivia: [Yes, still down for it]

Olivia: [Can’t wait]

Fuck my life.

***

“Seems like you got awfully quiet all of a sudden, dear.” Bella’s voice tore the silence of the room.

We were currently lying in the full bathtub, the same one she performed for me in previously. It was huge. Even with the both of us already in, there was enough space for a few extra people.

“Ugh. I just felt like I said a bit too much already,” I answered, only half joking. “Those words earlier...”

“If you dare to apologize for them. Or say that you didn’t really mean them,” Bella interrupted me. “I will be seriously angry.”

“Um. No. I meant them one hundred percent,” I assured her. “It’s just… they weren’t meant for you. Ugh, that came out wrong. They were meant for you, but not the current you, if you get what I mean.”

I sighed, trying to find the right words. All my masks returned blank to my inner question of ‘What should I say next’. Still, I continued.

“Yet, at the same time, I really wanted you to hear them.” Why was that so unnecessarily complicated? “Bella, my dear, I really want you in my life. Yet, we already tried exactly that. And…”

Bella turned her head, grabbed me by the neck and kissed me, interrupting my speech. A few moments later, much too soon in my opinion, it ended.

“You talk too fucking much, dear.” She sized me with a searing gaze. “I might not have had as much time to get to know you as well as my future self. But, by now, I am well aware what kind of bastard you are.”

“I’m so…” I tried to apologize, but Bella didn’t give me a chance.

“Don’t interrupt, I haven’t finished yet,” she said. “You know, I kind of assumed that this was the case, with you always coming back to my side and everything, but... Ugh, I felt so happy to finally hear you putting it into the proper words.”

She leaned her head onto my shoulder, and let out a content sigh.

“Hey, Michael. Will you keep coming back to me?” She asked.

“As long as I am welcomed by your side.” And I answered.

I felt her nuzzling into my side, her wet hair tickling my neck. I extended my hand and hugged her waist, bringing her even closer.

“I spent this week playing around with that insane idea that your stray… What's her name again? Hm, Olivia, right?” I confirmed and she continued her words. “That insane idea Olivia proposed. The poly one.”

“Eh, I already told you that we sort of tried this, and you weren’t all that thrilled to share me,” I added my five cents.

“Of course I wouldn’t be! I want you all to myself, stupid.” She splashed a bit of water into my face. “But that won’t work, right?”

“Yeah, it most likely won’t.” I nodded.

“You see, I always loved kids. And I really want to have one myself. Scratch that, I want YOUR kid.” Those words came out of nowhere and struck something inside of me. “But I will need to wait for at least fifteen years for that. And, life is a bitch, you should know. What if, by that time, your interest will lead you to a person who will make you forget about me? Someone like that one girl you couldn’t forget for twenty-five years.”

I opened my mouth to deny the possibility, but closed it without uttering a sound. Chance was always there.

“And so I was thinking under what kind of conditions I could tolerate this kind of arrangement.” She paused again, most likely gathering her thoughts. “We both know that I am attracted to women. And, well, you were never all that against a good show either.”

“Um, as I said, I wasn’t all that thrilled about sharing you either,” I responded. “It’s two very different things. Enjoying the show put on for me by two hot women, and looking at my woman cheating on me with another girl.”

“But… What if it’s not cheating? I mean, if all involved people are in the same relationship, can it be considered cheating?” I heard her question, and, huh, that made some sense. Of a twisted kind, yes, but still.

“No idea. If you want a definitive answer, we would need to give it a try first.” I shrugged.

“And we can just do exactly that. Try. If it doesn’t work, things can just be the same as they are now,” Bella said. “And, if it works out somehow. If, hm, by some miracle, it will be something lasting and harmonious enough… I would be able to make my wait much easier by taking care of your other kids.”

By the end of her phrase, her voice was barely audible. I hugged her even closer, and kissed the top of her head.

“Yeah, sounds great to me.” I didn’t really mean those words. But, at the same time, not like there were any downsides for me, eh.