Divorce and Freedom No More Homemaker for Him novel Chapter 408

The plan had been simple: take it slow and let feelings grow.

But the plan failed. She confessed on impulse.

From the moment Ayla realized Draven liked her to the moment she spoke up herself, there was no buffer at all. No slow build. No gentle warm-up.

Her feelings for him weren't fully formed yet. It felt a little like jumping into a relationship first and letting love catch up later.

Deep down, Ayla knew the truth. If she kept spending time with him, she would fall for him. She had worried about that even back when they were only pretending to date. She had been afraid she'd get used to the way he treated her, afraid she'd start to care for real.

So whether it was her or Halle, they both believed the ending would be the same. They would end up together.

What happened tonight pushed her over the edge. Troy's loss of control scared her. Draven showing up made her heart pound. And suddenly, something clicked. If they were going to be together sooner or later, why wait? Why not be honest now?

But feelings rushed before they're ready always come with a price.

Right now, Ayla didn't like Draven as much as he liked her. That much was clear.

Maybe with time, her feelings would grow deeper. Maybe one day they'd match his.

But she was sure of one thing. She did have feelings for him. Otherwise, she wouldn't have had the urge to confess at all.

Because their feelings weren't equal yet, she knew she could accept it if he turned her down.

She wasn't as anxious as he was.

She could wait.

She could wait until the day she was sure she loved him just as deeply as he loved her.

Her heart was calm about that.

What she didn't expect was his answer.

He was certain. So certain it shook her.

He had planned everything around being with her.

Everything he'd done had led to this moment.

There was no hesitation. Not even a trace.

That kind of resolve moved her deeply. Without her realizing it, someone cared about her this much. And not just anyone. Someone she admired. Someone she respected. Someone she liked.

It felt like being lost with nowhere left to go—and then suddenly seeing the one person you wanted most standing right in front of you.

The happiness of that moment didn't need words.

She had never seen those emotions on him before. Never. And now they were there, bare and unhidden, all because he was worried about her.

That was the last straw. Ayla lost control. She lunged forward and buried herself in his arms, wrapping both arms tightly around his lean waist, pressing her face hard against his chest. His strong heartbeat thudded against her ear as her tears kept pouring down.

Everything she'd carried for years—the bitterness, the fear, the hurt she'd ignored, swallowed, or forbidden herself to show—finally spilled out with those burning tears.

The moment she rushed into him, Draven locked his arms around her waist just as tightly. He held her hard. Because he loved the feeling of holding her.

At the same time, he carefully shifted his other hand to keep her injured knee from rubbing against him again.

Whether his own scraped knuckles hurt didn't matter.

Only she did.

Breathing in her scent, Draven felt like he was dreaming. He had imagined countless ways this might happen—how they might end up together someday. But never, not once, had he imagined she would confess first. Not without warning.

He had been so worried she wasn't ready. Turns out, it was the other way around.

She hadn't even said her feelings towards him yet—and she had already said, "Let's make it real."

The shock and joy hit him at the same time.

For a moment, he couldn't tell which was stronger—the thrill of finally getting what he wanted or the disbelief of being given something so sudden, so precious.