Guarded

Chapter 2

2. Once Upon A Time

Nervously peeking under her lashes, Celia's eyes locked with Tristan and almost instantly, she felt warmth gather within the deepest pits of her stomach. She hadn't realised when exactly she began to develop these feelings for her brother's best friend and couldn't decipher where exactly they had come from ... but when she discovered, man did she feel frazzled. Tristan was two years older than her and stood a head taller than her slim but curvy 5'8 frame. Although she was quite tall for a female, Tristan was much taller and this is what she loved. She loved height, an air of dominance and most importantly, independence in a man and Tristan possessed all traits. He was perfect in her eyes. From his tall and built frame to his dark and domineering eyes that screamed danger, she couldn't help but fall so deeply for him.

She shivered involuntarily under his intense gaze. When she finally realised that she had developed feelings for Tristan, it seemed as though he did as well. Their relationship towards each other changed dramatically. Tristan and Celia used to be extremely close, always throwing rude but playful remarks each other and then falling into deep conversation about things that Celia thought she could never tell a soul ... except for her sister, of course. But when Celia's feelings became known to both her and Tristan, Tristan began to distance himself. Sade, Celia, Shane and himself were the troublesome foursome since he was fifteen years of age. They were a team and anyone who knew one, knew that the other three would be in tow or somewhere near. Tristan had developed feelings for Celia since he first laid his eyes on her, as cliche as it sounds and as he watched her grow into a beautiful young woman with a humble soul, his feelings grew stronger. But .... but he couldn't break her heart. He would never forgive himself if he ever did. Yeah he's killed a few people and sure he's injured countless but never in his life would he or Shane allow him to live if he broke Celia. He wouldn't put that upon himself. She was too special to him.

"Sade will come back with a cut lip," Celia uttered nervously, working hard to break the unbearable silence that dawned on the pair. 

She smiled slightly as she heard her sister's playful pleas for Shane to stop. 

"The usual, init," Tristan replied, focusing his gaze on her full lips. 

He liked it when she smiled. He remembers being young and constantly looking forward to break times because that meant that he could see Celia and her smile. Something that never failed to make his day. Celia noticed his line of sight and nervously licked her lips. She sighed. 

"Don't do that, Tristan," she muttered, closing her eyes in defeat. 

She knew that they could never be together. They weren't good for each other so to make it easier for herself, she constantly scolded Tristan for his flirtatious behaviour that he could never take note of. Tristan chuckled and Celia enjoyed the sound of his harmonious laugh while it lasted. 

"Do what, babe?" he replied, capturing her legs between his beneath the table and leaning forward. 

He peered into her eyes and blinked for a second, reminding himself to focus on being playful. He could have sworn that the dark skinned beauty before him stopped breathing but as usual, she brushed off his tempting behaviour and screwed him. The faint tinge of red on her cheeks didn't go unnoticed. 

"Stop playing around and start clearing the plates," Celia snapped as she stood up, trying to put as much distance as possible between herself and the man who had stolen her heart but did not want anything to do with it.

"Awww, you guys cleaned for us. Thanks!" Sade grinned cheerfully as she entered the room on Shane's back. 

Celia laughed and shook her head. The cheek of these two, she thought, amused at the fact that the two that stood before her had clearly stopped fighting almost half an hour ago but chose to hide in Sade's room until they heard the sound of the dish washer in motion.