Define The Relationship Novel - Chapter 95

He was still being scolded. Karlyle gripped Ash’s hand tightly and quietly lowered his gaze. His expression turned sullen again.

“I was wrong.”

“You were wrong?”

Ash asked in a softened voice. Karlyle quickly affirmed.

“Yes, I was wrong.”

At those words, Ash let go of Karlyle’s hand. When Ash released the hand he had desperately held, Karlyle’s eyes widened as if he had been abandoned. At that expression, Ash smiled faintly.

“Then come here and hug me. I thought I was going crazy wanting to hug you since yesterday.”

With those words, Ash opened his arms. A shy smile formed on Karlyle’s face. Unable to control his joy, Karlyle hugged Ash tightly. He pulled him close, as if trapping him in his embrace, and buried his face in Ash’s neck. Ash hugged Karlyle back and whispered to him.

“I’m sorry too. I should have just explained when Hazel was mentioned. I misjudged, thinking the words would get around somehow. Will you forgive me?”

Karlyle nodded several times. Rubbing his nose against Ash’s neck, he replied a little childishly.

“It’s not Ash’s fault. I just… listened to people’s stories and judged them on my own. I won’t do that again.”

Strong arms hugged Karlyle so tightly it hurt, then relaxed. Ash ran his hand through Karlyle’s hair and said.

“We had our first fight, didn’t we?”

He savored the word “fight.” While in that situation, he had felt like the unhappiest person in the world, but now that the conflict was resolved, his heart felt much lighter. It also felt refreshing, as if his insides had been cleansed.

“I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay. I’m happy that Lyle has opened his heart to me that much. As humans, relationships can’t always be perfect.”

The hand that had been stroking his hair rubbed his cheek. His fingertips touched his eyes.

“I’m fine with Lyle getting angry as much as he wants. Just don’t hide it. If you need time, I’ll give you time. But please, don’t misunderstand on your own without asking me?”

It was strange how the tangled emotions, which seemed impossible to untangle, were resolved like this. He had hated himself for immaturely pushing Ash away, but Ash said he liked even that side of Karlyle. Feeling something welling up inside him, Karlyle looked around, then met Ash’s eyes and whispered.

“I will do that.”

The face that had seemed to hold a little tension finally returned to the Ash he knew. With a tired yet gentle expression, Ash kissed his eyes.

“Thank you.”

At Ash’s words, thanking him for something so natural, Karlyle almost shed the tears he had managed to hold back yesterday. He endured, embarrassed by tears shed while sober, but his eyes turned slightly reddish. Ash said nothing and simply pressed his lips to Karlyle, pulling him closer into his embrace.

The journey back was quiet but not awkward. Against a backdrop of gentle silence, they arrived home.

“Did you eat what I prepared?”

As soon as Ash opened the door, he first checked if Karlyle had eaten. Karlyle, who had faithfully followed Ash’s instructions, quickly replied, hoping to lift Ash’s mood even a little more.

“Yes. It was delicious.”

“That’s good. I didn’t want to eat either when Lyle wasn’t eating.”

Then had Ash not eaten anything all this time?

“Did you skip meals?”

“How could I eat when Lyle wasn’t eating?”

Guilt tore at Karlyle’s conscience. Like a boy who had committed a great wrong, Karlyle gripped Ash’s fingers.

“I’m truly sorry. Because of me…”

“I made you upset, didn’t I? But please don’t skip meals in the future. No, I won’t let Lyle get upset.”

Ash smiled, gently shaking the fingers he held.

“Shall we make something delicious for dinner together? Just Lyle and me.”

“Yes.”

Karlyle answered like someone desperate to grant any wish. Ash let out a soft chuckle and led Karlyle.

Dinner was decided to be risotto. While Ash made risotto with thinly sliced white mushrooms and portobello mushrooms, Karlyle found and took out the salad and mashed potatoes Ash had prepared beforehand.

It felt very different from cooking at Ash’s house. Ash had given Karlyle his space, but it wasn’t the same feeling as doing something in ‘their’ home, as it was now. Taking out food Ash had prepared from the shared refrigerator, and then naturally sitting down together to eat, seemed to bind them as one.

Karlyle realized anew that he could not love anyone other than Ash. And he realized again how fortunate he was that the person he loved also loved him. All these small daily moments felt like a gift. Ash was by his side now, and no one else. The fact that he wasn’t Ash’s first was something he couldn’t change. Even if he were always second, Ash existed as his lover at this very moment.

“Have you been waiting long? It’s all ready now.”

Ash came over carrying a modestly portioned risotto. Ash pulled out a chair right next to him and sat down, resting his chin on his hand and gazing at Karlyle.

“Is there anything you want to ask before you eat?”

“Yes?”

“Do you remember what I said the other day you could ask if you were curious about anything?”

Ash tilted his head slightly, meeting his eyes.

“Ask. Don’t be afraid.”

His gentle voice, like that of comforting a child, felt like it was pointing out his flaws, making him embarrassed, but at the same time, it subtly gave him courage. Karlyle opened his mouth after a moment of silence.

“Why did Hazel come to find Ash now?”

Ash ran his hand through Karlyle’s hair, as if to say “well done.” The feeling of his hand touching him while he rested his chin on his palm was pleasant. A faint shiver spread down his spine. “Lyle, I’ll tell you properly. I have no feelings for Hazel. He’s the one who cheated on me. Everything ended after that.”

How could someone as beautiful as Ash be left for another? Karlyle’s mood, instead of settling, grew sharper at the man’s pathetic actions. And the fact that he tried to rely on his Ash again made Karlyle furious.

“I didn’t know he would dare to do such a thing to Ash.”

Karlyle, suppressing his rage, tried to compose his words. He also pushed down the unsettling thoughts that kept trying to surface. Because Ash wouldn’t want them.

“It’s okay. It’s in the past. I’m just sad that Lyle was hurt because of Hazel.”

Ash spoke as if he knew the one thing Karlyle hadn’t yet asked. It was strange. How did Ash so easily pick up on his emotions? Even his own family didn’t know what Karlyle was thinking. Among the countless people he had encountered, only Ash was like that. In Aiden’s case, who was close to him, he had come to understand Karlyle’s actions by spending a long time together, but Ash was different.

As if it were destiny.

“I, that is…”

The words lingered on his tongue. Karlyle struggled to utter them. His heart felt heavy, as if he were revealing his deepest flaws.

“When I heard the word ‘bonded,’ I thought Ash might not love me as much as he loved that person. I’m not an Omega, so I can’t bond… and I felt jealousy about that. I showed a shameful side of myself. I apologize.”

His words flowed out at length, unlike him. Awkward at confessing his true feelings, Karlyle stiffened. Ash, who had been resting his chin on his hand, straightened his posture. Ash, turning slightly, leaned forward and pulled Karlyle’s hands to him, placing them on his thighs.

“Do you know why I thought I’d start dating Alphas after meeting Lyle?”

“…I don’t know.”

“I think we’re fated.”

His eyes widened at the words, which were not an inch different from what he had just thought.

“If we were fated, and if I started dating Alphas to find someone like you… I thought we would meet again someday.”

A fresh smile bloomed like a flower on Ash’s face.

“And here we are, together, right now. Just like this.”

Ash, gripping his hands tightly, raised his long eyelashes and whispered.

“Lyle, you are exactly that kind of person. It’s like a miracle that we fell in love. We’re not a couple led by pheromones, like an Omega and an Alpha. We’ve come all this way from a place where we had no common ground.”

The faint shivers that had been tracing his spine now became a thrill, filling Karlyle’s entire body.

“In my entire life, I can confidently say I love you the most.”

Joy spread like light. His face, which had been hardened by the uneasy emotions that had plagued him all day, slowly melted. His sharp eyes gently curved. A pure smile formed on his lips.

“So Lyle, your thought was wrong. Because I love you incomparably more than Hazel.”

Karlyle felt infinite relief and emotion that the person he had come to love was Ash Jones.

“Are your curiosities satisfied, my love?”

Ash raised Karlyle’s hand and gently kissed the back of it. Pulling his pale hand to his cheek and rubbing it, he gently waited for Karlyle’s answer.

“Yes.”

His overflowing eyes now held no trace of doubt or anxiety. In return, Karlyle quietly opened his lips and spoke his true feelings to his lover.

“I, too, love Ash more than anyone else.”

Ash’s eyes curved into a smile, as if he already knew. The late evening sunlight, slowly beginning to set, cut diagonally across the spot where they sat. Their shadows, spread beneath the table, clung to each other as if they were one.

In the tranquil atmosphere, they quietly began their meal. One of their clasped hands did not separate throughout the meal, holding each other tightly. Even until the sun completely disappeared beyond the horizon.