Crashing into an Old Flame
Chapter 282: Meant to be

Chapter 282: Meant to be

After Diana and Maxim left Hazel’s place, both of them were quiet on the way, lost in their thoughts.

Diana could feel Maxim sneaking glances every once in a while but she kept her face pressed on the glass panes, looking at the moon.

’’A penny for your thoughts?"

Diana did not turn to look at him, ’’Are you not curious?"

’’Curious about what?"

Diana tilted her head, ’’Your father.’’

Maxim caught a glimpse of the inquisitive look on her face before he looked ahead, ’’No.’’

’’Not even a little bit?" Diana did not want to sound amused but his casual response got that reaction from her almost instantly, ’’Growing up, did you never wish to meet him?"

’’Growing up, I was not as greedy. I did not crave for things I cannot have. I was content with what I had, unlike now.’’

That had her pause. ’’Unlike now? What happened now?" Diana asked.

Maxim tilted his head to the side, looking into her eyes for a moment before he averted his gaze, ’’I crave for things that are elusive, hard to catch, harder to hold.’’

’’Like?"

’’Birthday cakes that taste exceptional.’’

Diana scoffed, ’’All these beautiful words only for you to mock my cake in the end. Ungrateful.’’

Maxim’s lips stretched into a wide smile till his dimples appeared and Diana felt her heart skipping a beat ever so conveniently.

’’I never felt that what I had was incomplete,’’ Maxim continued speaking after a few minutes.

Diana pressed her palms on her cheeks as she listened to him attentively.

’’I did not have a father but that was not the end of the world for me. Why would I bother caring about his absense when I never felt his presence in the first place? It would have been pretty unfair to the woman who gave it her best shot for me all the time. To me, I always had this complete family.’’

Diana stretched her hand, placing it on his forearms as she stroked his skin gently, ’’Do you hold a grudge against your father?"

’’No.’’

’’Not even after what Hazel told you?"

’’She saw a ring. And just a ring does not mean that he was a married or engaged man. Mom was heartbroken and high. Maybe her assumption was right. Maybe not. Does it matter?"

’’Right,’’ Diana sighed, ’’But in this whole thing, I just hate that ex-boyrfriend of Hazel’s. Who can cheat on a woman like her?’’

Hazel was an amazing woman. She had that aura that comforted people around her. She was courageous and beautiful.

’’People do unpredictable things. Their loss. Their doom.’’

Diana chuckled, ’’You have a way with words all the time. If I could, I would pay you to be my therapist.’’

’’I can be your therapist forever. For free.’’

Diana ended up laughing harder, ’’That sounds like an extraordinary offer. Don’t tempt me,’’ she shook her head, ’’But I am happy for Hazel.’’

’’Mom dodged a bullet,’’ Maxim agreed.

’’Right? Good for her. And me too.’’

It was Maxim’s turn to be confused. As he gazed at her, Diana cleared her throat awkwardly.

’’Uh... You would not have existed if she did end up with her ex-boyfriend.’’

Maxim arched a brow but he did not give any response to her exaggerated hypothesis.

Diana rubbed the tip of her nose, ’’Moreover, such a man doesn’t deserve Hazel.’’

Maxim chuckled, ’’Yes and?"

Diana tilted her face to the side, a faint blush covering her cheeks, ’’Whatever. I just think that when we miss something in life, it means something better is coming for us.’’

’’And what if we miss something and that something finds it way back to us?"

Diana looked at him, her heart thumping in chest. He had that straight face on and she knew he was probably asking such a question casually but the delusional part of her head refused to understand that,’’Maybe it’s meant to be.’’

’’Certainly.’’

Diana bit her lips.

She tried to calm her racing heart as she leaned back on the seat and looked out of the window.

She felt a warmth on her cheeks when long fingers brushed on her cheeks, stroking her face.

Not so surprisingly, the moment Maxim’s hand was detached from her face, Diana felt her cheeks growing warmer.

On the way back to their apartment, both of them were quiet. And there seemed to be tension between them that had Diana’s breath faltering until they were the only two people in the elevator.

’’You...’’ the moment she opened her mouth to speak, Maxim grabbed the back of her neck, pinned her to the elevator wall and crashed his lips on hers.

Diana’s eyes fluttered close as his finger trailed down her neck, stroking her skin while his mouth ravaged her in a fiery passion. His tongue entangled with hers, biting, sucking and possessing her in a way she had not known was even possible.

By the time their lips parted, she was panting, gulping mouthful of air.

Maxim pressed his forehead against hers, looking straight into her eyes as his fingers played with her blonde tresses, ’’Certainly meant to be.’’

’Thump’

Those words sounded like a continued version of the conversation that they had in the car. And she knew that they were. They sure were.

Diana looked at him dazedly.

’Ding’

Before she could say a word, the elevator doors opened at her floor.

She snapped out of her daze and attempted to free herself from Maxim’s grip but he held her tighter and leaned closer to kiss her neck.

Perhaps because it was so late, there was no one wandering off in the hallways. The place was empty. But Diana could not stop the blush rising up her cheeks, ’’Maxim,’’ she tried to push him away.

But the man punished her by biting her neck.

Diana hissed, ’’Brute.’’

’’Sorry,’’ he apologized, sounding sincere.

Just when she thought that he was going to set her free, she felt his tongue darting out and grazing on the spot he just bit, sucking and licking her skin like he owned it.

He did. At this point, she was aware that he did own her. Heart, body and soul. Maxim Warner had engraved himself in her before she even realized and now it was too late to do anything about it.

’’My place?" he kissed her neck again, his voice coming out in a seductive whisper.