CHAPTER 5: SWEET KISSES
1183 Words
AMARIS’S POV
“You want me to what?” I was caught off guard by what Tobias had just asked me to do.
“I want you to run away with me, Amaris,” he repeated, firmer this time.
It was so random, how easily we had gone from talking about my shitty life to this.
“I know we said we were gonna do it later, but how about we do it now? There’s nothing keeping us here anymore,” he continued. “If we leave, we’d be free of this place forever.”
“B-but, I don’t have enough money saved up,” I argued. “With what I’ve got stashed away, I’d hardly manage to stay afloat for a couple of months.”
“None of that matters,” he reassured me. “I get that we haven’t got enough cash saved up, but we can figure that out as we go. It beats the alternative of having to remain here in a pack run by those self-serving Romanov brothers. And then there’s Vera and her mother. If we keep staying here, they’re just going to keep messing with you, making your health deteriorate faster than it has to. Heck, they’re gonna kill you, and no one here is going to bat an eyelash. Come on, Amaris, we have to escape this hellhole now. Run away with me. We could combine both our savings and get a kickstart on our new lives far away from here.”
Tobias’s voice was strong. He said all of it with so much conviction, I couldn’t help but marvel at his inclination to take control of both our fates. Once again, he was putting me first, regardless of the odds.
In truth, Tobias was right. I only had months left to live.
If I didn’t leave the pack now, I was never going to get a chance to experience anything for myself—sans the suffering and disappointments I had always known.
Choosing to run away with Tobias beat the alternative of continuing to live under Lilith’s thumb and putting up with Vera’s bullying.
It was about time I broke free of both of them.
“Yes,” I agreed at last. Saying it out loud was elating. It felt freeing.
“Yes? For real? You’re gonna do it?” Tobias grinned at me.
I nodded enthusiastically, returning his smile.
“Of course. I’ll gladly run away with you. If there’s anyone I’d wanna leave this rotten pack with, it’d be you. Always.”
“Really?” A faint blush crept across his cheeks, and it was the cutest thing I had seen in the longest time.
“Yes, really,” I affirmed.
“Okay then. It’s settled. We leave tomorrow after the Christmas selection feast.”
“We’re still going to cater at the feast, right?” I inquired.
He nodded. “Yeah. We’ll add the money to what we’ve already got.”
“Okay. You’ve got yourself a plan.” I put my hand out to him for a handshake. He rolled his eyes but shook hands with me anyway.
“You’re so unserious for someone who’s about to run away with a boy.” His smile was smug.
I giggled, feeling oddly giddy.
“I can’t help it. I’m excited about the prospect of starting afresh. All of a sudden, it feels like there’s a little bit of hope for me at the end of the tunnel.”
“I’m glad you feel that way.”
Hearing Tobias say that made me feel emotional.
Yes, it was scary being faced with an unknown future, where all I had was the backpack on my shoulders and the cash stashed into the frayed pocket of my jeans, but knowing that Tobias would be right next to me every step of the way gave me a sense of comfort that surpassed my fears.
“You look sad. What’s wrong?” Tobias questioned, giving me a quizzical look.
I shook my head at him. “I’m not sad. I’m just happy, thinking about how you’re the best thing that has ever happened to me in this pack.”
Tobias seemed to like my words because his ears reddened so much I feared he was about to run a temperature.
“You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me too.”
After he said it, he leaned in close to me. When I didn’t move away, he took it as a good sign. He closed the gap between us and pressed his lips to mine in a soft, gentle kiss.
Shocked by his unplanned kiss, I startled and pushed him away.
Tobias inhaled a deep, calming breath and rushed to apologize. “Whoa. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. Are you okay?”
“Yes. I’m okay,” I reassured him quickly.
“I’m sorry for the kiss,” he murmured, looking flushed and embarrassed. “I shouldn’t have done it.”
“Oh no, no. You don’t have to apologize for that. I only pushed you away because I wasn’t expecting you to kiss me. It wasn’t because I didn’t like it.”
“So… you liked it?” he asked, his tone tentative.
I took his hand in both of mine. “I didn’t hate it.”
Smiling, I leaned forward and pressed my lips against his cheek. His skin was warm against my lips. Faint stubble grazed me as I pulled away.
“Amaris...” he clutched my hands tighter, his voice growing softer. There was something about it that sent a shiver down my spine.
“I need to get going,” I announced suddenly. “Lilith will be needing me soon. The last thing I need is her being curious about my whereabouts. You know how she gets.”
“Yeah, I know,” Tobias sighed, letting my hands go, albeit grudgingly.
I smiled at him. He smiled back.
“I’ll see you at the feast tomorrow,” he said.
“Try not to count down the hours until you get to see me again,” I teased, winking at him.
He scoffed, pretending to sound offended.
“I’m not some pathetic fanboy who’s obsessed with you. In fact, if there’s anyone who’s obsessed, it’s you, Amaris.”
“What?” I snorted, amused by his accusations. “You’re the one who kissed me.”
“You kissed me back, princess.”
“Yes. On the cheek.”
“It was quite a passionate cheek kiss. I can still feel the imprint of your lips on my cheek.”
He tapped his fingers against his cheek, pretending to create a tingling sensation.
I laughed. “You’re impossible. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Bye, Amaris.”
“Bye, Tobias.”
We waved at each other right before I left. As I walked home, I thought about my plans to run away with Tobias.
The best part was that it didn’t have to happen later. It was happening right after the Christmas Selection Feast.
I could hardly wait.
- Writer
