Falling in Love : I love you, Today and Forever

3Theo stood outside Oliver's door as he hesitated. His thoughts were a mess and he did not know how to approach the man who he had hurt knowingly or unknowingly. Although he had no reason to apologize to Oliver, Theo somehow felt responsible for breaking his trust.      3

Taking a deep breath, he knocked at the door and waited impatiently. For a few seconds, there was no response. Theo was about to knock again when he heard Oliver's voice.     

He opened the door without wasting more time but dared not walk inside. "Oliver, it's me." He just peeked inside and looked at the man lying on the bed with his arm covering his eyes.      

"Do you have time to talk to me?" His tone came out more like a plead than a question and Oliver lowered his arm to look at the man immediately.     

"I was waiting for you." Oliver sat up and scooted towards the edge of the bed, his words surprising Theo greatly. "And, you may come in."     

"Well, yes. Of course." Theo came out of his trance and entered the room.      

"Were you waiting for me for real?" Theo questioned to confirm Oliver. For a moment, he wondered if he was dreaming and if Oliver had said those words in his dream.     

"Yes, I knew you would look for me."     

"Okay." Theo did not know what else to say as he continued staying by the door.     

"You may take a seat. You know. I won't kill you."     

Theo did not miss the underlying meaning behind Oliver's words and he smiled faintly in remorse.     

"You must be angry with me."     

"You are mistaken, Sir. I am not angry at all. I really am not." Oliver folded his hands and shook his head. "I have no right to be angry. We were mere acquaintances, to begin with. So, why would I be angry at someone I barely knew?"     

Every word of his sent pangs of pain and guilt through Theo's heart and he shifted on his legs uncomfortably. He had not felt this uneasy even when facing Ian or anyone from the Carter or the Martin family.      

But Oliver. Just his silence alone was enough to make him go nuts and he did not know why. Maybe it was because he had broken the trust the man before him had for him or that he had to see him die when he was alive and living well all along. He thought and lowered his head, unable to meet Oliver's intense gaze.     

"It's fine, Theo. I understand you had reasons behind your actions. I will never blame you." Oliver remarked and that was like the final blow for the man, who all but wanted the good man before him to accept his apology.     

"I know you are angry, Oliver and you have all the right to be." Seeing that Oliver was about to interrupt him, Theo held his palm at him. "Please let me speak. I have a lot to tell you and I want to finish it in one go."     

Oliver gave up speaking and nodded at him to go ahead.     

"It's true that I had my reasons to do whatever I did back then. Although I feel sorry for it, it was the only way to protect the people I love."     

Oliver's face scrunched up in confusion and he frowned deeply, not understanding where this conversation was going.     

"You will find out the actual plan once Master Carter returns from the hospital. Until then, please bear with me." Theo begged and Oliver's expression softened.      

"It's fine, Theo. I understand. I was not furious with you in the first place." His words astonished Theo and the man looked at Oliver in a daze.     

"It's true that I was hurt when I found out you were alive and had deceived me. But somewhere, I can understand you."     

"You do?" Theo was gobsmacked and could not help but gape at Oliver as if he was staring at a monster when in fact, he was far from that.     

"Yes, I do. I get that there must be a valid reason for you to fake your death and deceive not just me but all the people who love and respect you."     

"Does that mean you forgive me?" Theo asked hopefully and Oliver shook his head, much to his anguish.     

"As I said before, I was never angry with you. So, you do not have to apologize to me."     

"But I did hurt you and for that, I seek your forgiveness."      

"And I forgave you long ago." Oliver grinned at him and Theo went speechless again.     

"I think this is the nth time you are rendered speechless." Oliver joked and laughed in amusement. "Are you trying to set a record or something?"     

"You..." Theo glared at him and bared his teeth in anger. "Do you have any idea how scared I was? I thought I hurt you deeply and you would never forgive me. Did you have to be so heartless?"     

Theo plopped on one of the chairs and wiped his nonexistent sweat off his forehead.     

"I was just taking revenge for what you did." Oliver shrugged as if it was nothing. "Moreover, what I did was not even one-thousandth of what you did to us. So, bear with it and accept it, old man."     

"Who are you calling an old man? You are an old man. Your entire family is filled with old men." Theo spat and Oliver chuckled again.     

"Looks like you have lost your sanity after staying in another country. If you have forgotten, let me remind you that I have two beautiful daughters. How did old men become my family?" Oliver raised his brows playfully at him and Theo gritted his teeth in annoyance.     

"You are irritating."      

"Thank you for the compliment. I'm honored."     

"It was not a compliment."      

"I'll take it as one."     

"You are unbelievable."     

"So are you."     

The two men stared at each other before they burst out laughing.     

Meanwhile, Ivy and Joshua had no idea that the two old men had resolved their misunderstanding and were behaving like kids, bickering with each other.