Feelings Incarnate | ✓

12 | Influence

Kiara࿐

My face was burning, and I could hear his heart beating erratically through his chest.

My inner self was yelling at me, 'Ki, what the hell are you doing?'

But I couldn't stop.

Maybe it was the way he held my hand on that roller-coaster. Maybe it was the way he fought off those three thugs. Maybe it was the fact that his jokes always made me laugh. Maybe it was the way he texted me regularly. Maybe it was all the time we spent with each other. Or maybe it was because he was the first guy that I had ever felt this comfortable with. Maybe that's why I feel this way, right?

But one thing is for sure; I'd fallen for him.

He slowly brought his hands up and encircled them around me. Wrapped in the warm swaddle against his chest and arms, I didn't want to leave. Instead, I sunk deeper into the warmth of his chest, inhaling his calming scent of soap and mint.

It felt as if when I was in his arms, all my thoughts had come to a standstill, and I hoped that it was the same for him too. I didn't want him to think about what had happened to his father, especially when the pain was apparent in his eyes. I didn't want him to be crestfallen. Seeing him like that pained me somehow.

And I remembered a quote I had read in a novel,

❝Isn't it amazing how fast we fall in love? Even if it's for the simplest things.❞

●●●

I was sitting on his bed, still unable to comprehend what just happened. I'd never really hugged a boy before; I used to fear them. Yet, why did I feel so safe with him?

That's when it hit me.

I liked him!

I was anxious. I'd never felt like this before. It was so foreign, and I was afraid that I had just ruined our friendship.

No, Ki, be strong! You know love weakens your mind. Forget about your feelings, idiot. They mean nothing! Push them away! Forget them! If you really want to, think about them at home. Don't make it obvious to him.

I heard the door click, and Hayden strode into the room, patting his face with a white towel--a slight tint of pink staining his cheeks. Our eyes met for a moment before he cleared his throat and broke the eye contact.

I felt the heat rushing to my cheeks.

"I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to do that. It just . . . I don't know . . . happened. I don't know what I was thinking. I'm sorry," I stammered, clasping and unclasping my hands.

He chuckled at my messy state. "Hey, hey, it wasn't your fault. I mean, if I saw me sad, I would have hugged me too." He grinned cheekily.

I looked up at him and blinked.

Did he just . . .

I brought up my fist at him, glaring. "I was here, worried that our friendship was going to become all awkward, and you have the audacity to make a joke?!"

He was having fun?!

He held up his hands in defence. "Hey, at least, our friendship is not awkward now!" He smirked.

I closed my eyes and sighed.

Calm down, Ki. You can't murder him in his own house. So, calm yourself down. Count down from ten. Ten . . . nine . . . eight . . . seven--

"What, are you meditating?" he asked, interrupted my counting.

I opened my eyes and scowled. "Yeah, to stop myself from coming over there and beating the shit out of you."