Page 26

ANYA

“He kissed me,” I announce.

Soph jumps to her feet, eyes wide and a gasp on her lips. “What?!” she exclaims. People look at her. I give them an apologetic smile and pull her down.

“What are you doing?” I whisper-yell, glaring at her.

“I am sorry, but WHAT?” she mimics my tone.

“He must be really good for you to kiss him on your first date, and you forgot about your captain too, wow. I need to know everything,” she says, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. It was her idea that I should go out on a date with a hot guy who could distract me. She’s the romance expert here. Not only has she dated more than both me and Siya combined, but she also writes romance books. She has never let us read it, but I am very sure she is good at it.

“She’s talking about Daniel, Soph,” Siya says, finally closing her book and looking at me carefully. My eyes widen. It’s scary how she can even read my mind.

“How do you know?” I whisper. “Are you a psychic now?” I raise an eyebrow .

She smiles sheepishly. “Because I told him where you were,” she says, not meeting my eyes. “that you were on a date. He was searching for you desperately.”

I gasp dramatically. Soph rolls her eyes, watching us intently. “Why would you do that? Do you know what a scene he—”

“I don’t know that, but I did it for you, Anya,” Siya says quietly but firmly, still avoiding my eyes. I wait for her to explain her logic because I would really like to know. “I am sure you know it too, that you like him,” she says, her dark brown eyes turning amber as sunlight hits them. “The poor man has been trying to tell you how he feels about you. Why are you ignoring him, Anya?” she asks.

I stare at her, my mouth parted slightly. “What are you talking about?” I try to play it cool. But she doesn’t answer. Soph stares at me expressionless, so I sigh, taking a sip of my black coffee, my face twisting in disgust. God knows how he drinks it and why I ordered it.

“I am afraid,” I admit, putting the mug down.

“Of what?” Soph asks as she eyes me carefully.

“He gets me. He understands me too well,” I say. “He knows when I need silence.” I look out of the window. “Or when I want to rant.” I turn around to face them. “He learned my coffee order, you know.” I chuckle. I feel a lump in my throat. “I just automatically feel better when I see him. I find ways to see him.” I feel my eyes burning.

Siya keeps her hand on mine. “That’s a good thing, you know.”

I nod. “I want to be with him,” I say. “But what if he realizes that I am not enough? He makes me feel visible.” I chuckle humorlessly. “At least, for now. He can have anyone he wants, so what if he doesn’t like me when he finally sees the entire me, the filter-less me?”

Soph scoffs. “Are you kidding me?” She shakes her head. “ He looks at you like he can’t believe you exist. Like you are the only star in his sky.” I inhale sharply. I feel my stomach flutter at her words.

“What?” I whisper.

She pulls her phone out of her pocket, scrolling a little as her eyes scan the screen, and a sly smile appears on her lips. She glances at me and lifts her phone to show me a picture of Daniel and me. It’s from the beach. When we had the sandcastle-making competition.

“Do you see it? His eyes are sparkling. Look at how happy you guys seem,” she says, a gentle smile playing on her lips, and I can’t fathom what I am looking at.

“He likes you, Anya. He likes you so much,” Siya says. Soph nods, bobbing her head as she picks up a fry and munches on it.

“Don’t run away anymore, babe,” Soph says, her eyes not leaving mine.

“It’s okay to try, right?” Siya smiles and I realize she approves of him. It means a lot because she isn’t open to new people. She has social anxiety, so she runs away from strangers, but if she supports it, it means she sees something genuine. She would never want me to get hurt. I feel I am more hurt while being away from him. What if it works out? What if he still likes me when he sees the real me?

I suddenly feel breathless. I am speechless. As if on cue, Daniel walks in through the door. Call me delusional, but that’s a sign, right?

As I watch him walking toward us, my heart starts racing and my palms are sweating. But Siya’s squeeze of encouragement grounds me.

Daniel comes to a stop in front of the table. His eyes rake over me. It’s as if he can see through me. Maybe he can. But there’s no judgment visible in his eyes.

“Hey,” he says, his voice low and velvety.

I feel a shiver run down my spine as his voice registers in my head, my body subconsciously leaning towards him.

“Hey,” I manage to croak out, my voice betraying my attempt to sound casual.

“Can I steal her for a while?” He glances at my friends, his gaze lingering on Siya for a second longer before he looks back at me.

“Of course!” Soph grins.

I do not protest this time. I get up and push the chair under the table as I walk beside him. He doesn’t say anything. I hate the crease on his forehead. He looks tired, and if I am the reason, I want to punish myself. People stare at us, but he doesn’t seem to be bothered by that. He is used to it.

Thankfully, when he shoved his tongue down my throat, there weren’t many people around except the cafe staff, because otherwise, it would have gone viral, and I hate attention, especially from strangers. And since he is a known figure, people will make everything a big deal. I am never going back to that cafe ever again.

Daniel leads the way out of the cafe, the soft breeze from the outside playing with his hair. His hand brushes against mine, an electric current passing through the brief contact. For a second, I wish he would take my hand in his, but he doesn’t. We’re both silent as the door shuts behind us. He continues walking without a word, heading towards a park nearby.

Once we reach the park, Daniel leads me toward a secluded spot under a tall oak tree. The leaves of the tree cast shadows on the ground, the sunlight filtering through them in a mesmerizing way. The sound of birds chirping fills the air, adding a natural soundtrack to the silence between us.

“I hate it when you avoid me, you know,” he says, his voice firm but gentle. He leans against the trunk of the tree, looking at his shoes. “You act so brave.” He shakes his head. “Correction.” He looks up, his expression unreadable. “You are brave, yet you run away from me.”

He pushes himself away from the tree and takes a step towards me, his gaze intense. The sunlight casts a golden hue on his skin, making his eyes sparkle. He stops when he’s close enough that I can feel his body heat.

“You push me away,” he says, his voice barely above a whisper. “And it just—”

He pauses, visibly struggling to find the right words. He rakes a hand through his hair, messing up the perfect strands, but the slight imperfection only seems to make him more attractive.

“About the other day, Anya—” he says and puts a finger on my lips as if I am going to interrupt him. My eyes widen, taken aback by his action. “No, it was not. It did not happen in the moment,” he continues, taking his hand back. He looks into my eyes. Dazed.

“Why did you kiss me then, Daniel?” I whisper.

Sighing loudly, he reaches out and gently takes my hand in his, his calloused thumbs tracing soothing circles on my skin.

“Because I was jealous,” he admits.

The simple touch of his hand, his thumb rubbing circles on my skin, is scrambling my brain and sending my pulse into overdrive. “Jealous?” I manage to ask.

He nods. “You have no idea how long I’ve been holding back. The first second I saw you, I couldn’t get over how beautiful you were,” He says, his voice low and laced with a conviction that takes me off guard. “And then I got to know you. Thank god for that awful assignment.” He chuckles. “I have attended every single lecture on the subject because I wanted to see you, Anya. I did not even realize when making you laugh became so important to me.” His eyes hold so much sincerity, my heart does a cartwheel. “And he was making you laugh, so easily. I was just very angry.”

I can feel my breath hitching as he speaks, his words sending a wave of warmth through me.

“What I am trying to say here, Anya, is that…” He looks into my eyes, and I almost gasp seeing the raw emotions swirling in them. “This is the worst way to do it. You deserve better, but I need you to know it.” Unable to hold eye contact, I look down at my feet.

He steps closer to me and kneels, my eyes widening. Oh my god. Is he proposing? But why would he? That would be just too much. “What are you doing, Daniel?!” I exclaim.

“You are not looking at me, and I won’t talk if you do not meet my eyes,” he says, a small smile playing on his lips.

“I am not the best man out there. I admit it. And you deserve the best.” His smile only widens. “But I promise to do anything and everything to be who you deserve. So, if you will let me—” he inhales deeply, and so do I.“--can I be your boyfriend?”

I stand there in disbelief, my heart pounding in my chest. He’s kneeling before me, looking up at me with so much vulnerability and sincerity in his eyes. I can feel tears prickling at the corners of my eyes as the weight of his words weighs over me. This feels so official. My mind is reeling, struggling to process his proposal. He wants to be my boyfriend? It’s something I’ve thought about, but I never dared to hope for it. And now, he’s here, asking me if I would let him. Not if I can be his girlfriend, but if I can allow him to be my boyfriend.

I try to find the right words, but my throat feels constricted. He gets up and holds my hand. His palms are sweaty. “Please say something, Fire—” I think it’s enough running for now. I am going to take a chance. I slam my lips on his.

He freezes, surprise etched on his face. But the shock doesn’t last long as he quickly recovers from the surprise and responds to my kiss. One hand cups my cheek, the other wrapping around my waist, pulling me closer, his body pressing against mine. This kiss is unlike the kiss from the other day in the cafe. It’s soft and gentle, yet passion burns beneath it. It seems as if he has been waiting to do this for quite some time, and it excites me to know that he’s been holding back his feelings just for me.

He pulls away slightly, a breathless laugh escaping his lips as he looks at me with a dazed expression. “Is that a yes?” he asks, his eyes searching mine.

I roll my eyes, pretending to be unfazed even though my heart is doing somersaults. “What do you think, genius?” I raise an eyebrow as I smirk. He shakes his head, but a huge grin adorns his face, which makes me smile wider. He gets up and eyes me.

“I think that’s very much a yes, but could you say it for me? I need to hear it,” he says and pokes my nose.

“Yes, Daniel.” I look up at him. “I will allow you to be my boyfriend.” He laughs, the sound of his happiness filling the air. It is as if a weight has been lifted from his shoulders, as if a burden he had been carrying for far too long has suddenly been lifted. As he pulls away from our embrace, his eyes remain fixed on mine, an affectionate smile still tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“You have no idea how happy I am right now, Firecracker,” he says, still grinning uncontrollably.

“I think I really like making you smile,” I say as I hug him again.

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