Unmistakable: A Cinderella Retelling

17 ~ kiss

I watched her eat her ice cream and make jokes about random people passing by or things she saw around us and I felt my heart melting. It was wholesome watching her let her walls down and actually have fun.

As I watched her eat her ice cream, I fought a mental battle with myself. When was the right time to tell her that I’d danced with her two years ago? And that that night was the best night of my life?

I remembered how I felt when I hurried out of the ballroom and couldn’t find her anywhere. She disappeared, just as fast as she came. It hurt mostly because I wasn’t sure I would ever set my eyes again and we hadn’t exchanged contacts, but here we were, two years after. She was right in front of me, fulfilling my wish to see her again.

I also wondered if she knew who I was. Did she even remember that night? Would she believe me if I told her I was the one she danced with? She should have her suspicions already but her silence so far confused me even more.

“Irvin,” she snapped her fingers in my face, pulling me out of my reverie.

“Yes?” I shook my head, now giving her my full attention.

“Are you going to eat that?”

I looked down at my hands and of course, my ice cream was already melting. I did want to eat it but the look on her face told me not to, so I gave it to her instead.

“Thank you,” she grinned and took it from me. Without wasting time, she dug in.

I laughed softly, finding her cute.

“Don’t laugh at me,” she scolded, her mouth filled with ice cream which made her words sound somewhat muffled.

“You’re cute.” I said.

She looked up at me, her doe eyes sparkling under the street lights. She swallowed and straightened her head. “I’m not cute.” She disagreed.

“But you are.” I insisted.

Her cute look slowly turned to a scowl, making her look cuter. Then her scowl turned to a pout and I started laughing. I pinched her cheeks and she took a step closer to me to balance herself.

“Cute Emily.” I cooed.

With her free hand, she swatted mine away but as soon as I let go, I pinched them again.

“You’re insufferable,” she groaned and this time when she pushed my hand away, she took a step backward.

I held her elbow and pulled her back to me, spinning her around in the process. She was flush against my chest and that close to her, I could feel the rapid falling and rising of her chest and the faint thump of her heartbeat, it was wild, matching mine.

I fought with myself to look away from her lips, settling for her eyes, cheeks and nose instead. I studied every inch of the upper part of her face, committing each detail to memory.

My self-restraint snapped when her gaze shifted to my eyes, making eye contact with me and down to my lips. Blood rushed to my groin and I unconsciously tightened my grip on her arm.

With her gaze on my lips, she licked her lips and my eyes followed the movement, wishing to do the same with my tongue. I swallowed the lump in my throat, my ability to stop myself form kissing her slowly slipping from my fingers.

“Stop,” I whispered.

“Stop what?” she still didn’t look away from my lips.

“Stop looking like you want me to kiss you.” I tore my gaze from her lips to her eye lids, studying the eye shadow that was smoothly applied on it.

“And what if I do?” Her eyes met mine again and I inhaled sharply.

Silence ensued between us and despite the noise all around us, all I could hear was the sound of her breathing and the pounding of my heart in my ears.

“Then I will kiss you,” I pulled her closer to me, earning a gasp from her lips.

Her eyes spoke of the battle in her mind. She wanted me to kiss her, the look in her eyes telling it all to me, but there was a small part of her that hesitated, that was the part of her that I’d been in contact with.

It was obvious that I wasn’t getting anything tonight, her decision to not want to be romantically involved with me, still standing so strong. But her resolve was breaking, I could see it. I just needed to push more and harder.

I leaned into her, my lips hovering over her ear. “If you ever change your mind, I’ll be more than willing.” I whispered and let go of her.

I walked away from her and tucked my hands into my pockets with the hopes of covering up the erection between my legs. I needed a cold shower, then more than ever.

She fell in step with me, her ice cream now gone. Fortunately for us, we were a few meters away from where I’d parked my car. It pleased me to hear that she’d taken a Bolt ride to get to the restaurant, this way I’d get to spend some more time with her.

“Let me order a ride.” She announced, slowing down in her steps as she began to fish her phone out of her bag.

“I’ll drop you at home, come on.” I slowed down too.

“No I don–”

‘What kind of man would I be if I let you go home with a bold ride when I have a car in perfect working conditions?” I questioned and she stopped fondling with her phone. “Now would you let me take you home?”

She dropped her phone back into her bag, “fine.”

I took out my car key and unlocked the doors. Before she could reach for the passenger’s side door, I beat her to it.

She gave me a look similar to a glare but got into the car. I gently closed the door and got into the driver’s seat. The car ride to her father’s house was silent and when I parked in front of the gate, I was the first to speak.

“Thank you for showing up tonight.” I said.

She unhooked her seatbelt. “Thank you for the ice cream.”

I chuckled. “Anytime.”

“See you around?” She reached for the door handle.

“See you around Emily.”  I held my breath and waited for her to get down and close the door before releasing it.

When she was inside the compound I drove off.

An update because I owe it to you.

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