strangers to lovers

CHAPTER-TWENTY-TWO:

In addition to that, he told us that he would hang out with us today, just us two. Would this now be any different? It might have been better if it were not. Perhaps he realized he had been wrong the night before. He added, stopping my melodramatic thinking, "Ella, you should make sure you've got your phone," because that wasn't going to change our plans. Why was he supposed to leave me waiting all day? I smiled politely as I spoke. "Yes. I will let you know my availability once you let me know yours." He didn't blink a single time. The problem is that you do not know. Dylan has a reservation with Miss Kingston at five o'clock. "So at that time, you'll have to stay here or with me." I glared at Donna accusingly. In her defense, Donna was confused. "What reservations?" she asked. She got a glance at us both. Her face was meek as she gave us a look. As Luke made me, I am looking for a good restaurant. The

nod of the head he gave indicated that Dylan had answered his question properly. After Dylan left, I pursed my lips at him and said, "Now that this has been clarified, I will shower and get dressed." "Dinner reservations for you and Donna?" " "I personally would've liked to get dinner with you all together, but Luke was insistent about having dinner by myself," he said. She pretended to scratch her chin. "I'm not against dinner alone with you, Donna." Dylan blushed as if this was a set up. Do you want my hot bod?" I laughed, feeling a little nervous. Even though I knew Dylan would look after Donna tonight, I wasn't sure how I would fare alone with Luke. Alone on a date with Luke. Was it really a date? Or was he just acting like a boyfriend? I hadn't asked, and I didn't want to think about it. There was nothing good about either answer to that question. "I'll leave you two to it." The two of us leaned together in a room and laughed thoughtfully as Dylan said, "I'm open to any deal." Donna and I looked at each other in the room. I laughed and thought how much I would love to be married to him. She smirked and smiled at me as she said, "You do not marry someone for their food." "You date someone for his money." She smirked and said, "I'll eat it all!" "Never!" I warned her. She grabbed three slices of bread and shoved them into her mouth. "I'll eat it all!" she said, grabbing them and shoveling them into her mouth. I shrugged, "Generally you're supposed to keep the money for yourself. I shrugged. "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, okay?" She pulled out some bread and said, "I'm 95% sure today will end up being billed to Luke, so let's take advantage of it as much as we can." I shrugged. "Don't forget his gift?" she asked. As we did not have all day to explore, Donna and I decided to visit the spa, the shops, and even learn how to stand up paddleboard, so we decided to go there. "Yeah, yeah," she replied, as she grabbed a forkful of scrambled eggs. In addition to telling us about Hawaii's history, our tour guide showed us some mountains that we can hike together in the future. Because of his family's involvement in the resort there, he was an extremely knowledgeable person about the island. The hotel was everything they imagined they were going to build. I wasn't expecting so much. In addition to Luke's knowledge of all these strange and random things, there was probably a reason for it. He probably learned something new every day, just like me. It was great to learn about Hawaii too. It felt like such a peaceful place, with very friendly people. The experience made me feel as if I had entered a completely different universe, where the passage of time had been slowed down, with just a hint of salt in it. The room was warm and soothing, with just a hint of sea salt to taste. As a result of all the stress I have been through in my life, I forgot what it was like to be carefree and stress-free. It was upon our return from paddleboarding that a passerby handed me a white hibiscus flower. Dylan and the young man winked as they walked away from the area. I stared up at the trees around us, in awe at their vibrancy. In fact, the whole island was vibrant. All day, I'd been having trouble taking in just how beautiful this place was. "I got water in my ear," Donna complained as she tilted her head to the side and shook it. "That's what you get for falling so many times," I teased. "What did you get then?" Dylan asked. "You fell more than her." I narrowed my eyes at him. It was hard not to get distracted by his surprisingly muscled chest. He was tan and glorious. How had I fallen for Luke, again? "Whose side are you on?" He shrugged. His hair wasn't even wet, that's how good of a paddleboarder he was. He hadn't fallen once. "Thirty minutes isn't that bad to get it right. I guess," he said. "Look at this. I'm seeing a new side to you." "Well, I figure I owe you this since you show me a new side to Luke every so often," he responded. I raised an eyebrow, trying my best to keep eye contact with him as I wrung out my wet hair. "I do?" "I never thought I'd see the day he'd volunteer to go on a business trip, but I know he did it so you could come along and relax. He knows the stress you're going through. It makes me proud to see him being compassionate." "Is that really why he brought me?" I'd figured it had to do with something about our contract. It made me kind of embarrassed. "What about Donna?" "He invited her so you wouldn't feel alone and you'd have more fun," Dylan told me. Donna grinned. "Hey. I'm all for that. Free trip to Hawaii? I'd have even come along to be her personal assistant." I stared out at the ocean for a moment, biting my lip. I wasn't used to Luke being so... human. Where had this come from? Since when had he been so in tune with what I was feeling? Had he found out I liked him? Is that why he invited me on the date? To tell me it couldn't happen... I ground my teeth together. No, Ella. Why did I have to be so negative all the time? I couldn't read Luke's mind. There was no use speculating. I'd just have to wait. Maybe he just wanted to spend some time together since he hadn't really got to enjoy anything yet. After we left the beach, we headed back to our suite so we could rinse the salt off our bodies. I decided to be cute and wear the white and red hibiscus-patterned sundress I'd purchased earlier to match the white flower in my hair. Hopefully where we'd be going wouldn't have a strict dress code.

Knowing Luke, he would find something about my dress to complain about. "Are you nervous?" Donna asked as she studied herself in the mirror, trying to get a good look at her backside. She'd opted for forest green sundress and it complimented her beautifully. My fears about Luke are always coming true." I couldn't help but smile. "Can I tell you something?" Donna said, grinning. "So how do you feel? You make me nervous around him." "My brother is cute, but I still prefer your brother." "Gross. We were interrupted by a knock at our door. Dylan called out, keeping the door shut as he continued to make his way out. When my heart jumped in my throat, I turned to Ariana in panic. I drew in a deep breath and pushed at the door playfully. The sweaty palms on my dress wiped away as I slipped through. As Dylan smiled at me, his body seemed to be filling with a temperature. Within a moment, I found our lips parted, and I couldn't speak. "Have fun." "Thanks." He put his hand out towards my face. We will be there for you no matter what the future holds for you." I told her. How was Dylan so perceptive of my fears? I was overwhelmed by the overwhelming sense of admiration that I felt for the sandy-haired man. "Thank you," I replied, expressing an overwhelming sense of admiration. "You better treat Donna nicely," I said, adding that that was the best friend thing to do. "You better treat Luke nicely," he countered. Then he paused for a moment, then said, "Well, he deserves some sass from you.". I grinned, feeling like a Load had lifted from my shoulders. As I pushed the back of my hair behind my ear and glanced out the window, the wind from the ocean ruffled the bottom of my dress as well as disheveled my hair. It was at the bottom of the deck that I noticed Luke stood staring at me. I was aware that he was looking at me as I descended the stairs and I felt that he was assessing my outfit carefully. He was wearing the same button-up as he always does and a pair of nice jeans as usual, he kept his eyes on me as I descended the stairs. In my mind, I had been expecting him to say something like, "what are you wearing?" The first thing I did when he complimented me was I didn't know what to say. He was complimenting me on the dress. He asked me, "Wait, this dress?" He said, looking at the flower in my hair. "Wait, this dress?" I asked. I asked him where he found that flower. He murmured, reaching out, and pulling the flower out of my hair. "Uh, some guy gave it to me earlier." I was about to protest as he put it back in. "Wait on your left side." "Why?" "Are you hungry?" 'What's the best place for me to eat?" He didn't answer. I stared at him for a moment feeling a bit weird as I stared at him for a moment. "I always make you follow my agenda, today we'll do what you want." "Anything's fine," he said without answering. "What would you like to eat?" "Anything." "Let me know what you want, Ella." "What is sushi?" It was clear from his expression that he was not a sushi fan. Yet again, the words that came out of his mouth surprised me. "Sushi." "Do you actually like sushi, or are you just agreeing with me?" "I've never had it," he responded, beginning to walk away from me, toward an idling car I hadn't noticed before. I followed behind him. He slowed so I could walk beside him. Then he opened the door for me. The ride was a silent one. I didn't really mind though, I enjoyed looking out the window at the gorgeous scenery. It was not long before I felt relaxed again by the time we reached the restaurant. Luke once again opened my door and even helped me out of my car. The building was black and sleek, and there was a Morimoto sign on it. Once we stepped inside, we were instantly surrounded by delightful smells. "For two," Luke told the hostess, "please take your seat outside. She led the way, but I barely managed to keep up, too distracted by how stunning the interior décor was. There was a perfect balance between spaciousness and elegance. The restaurant was crowded and I wondered how we'd made it in without reservations. Our table was indeed outside. And the view was incredible. There, laid out before us, was the oceanfront. Merely hundreds of feet away. Our table was on a wooden platform, surrounded by a small trough of water. "This is fancy," I said to Luke. Now I was a little scared to look at the prices on the menu. Luke shrugged one shoulder. "It's showy." I thought you had been to this place before. You didn't even research sushi restaurants in the area." He hesitated for a moment before saying, "My brother actually liked this place." Had he really said that about Levi? Was he saying that so easily about him? He pointed out over the sea that Levi was the one who made the decision to build the resort. It seemed as though you were doing everything for me in return. I knew it was too late." I kept silent, not wanting to ask too many questions. During the accident, my mother wanted me to drop it, but I didn't want to." Levi turned to me and his face paled as he realized what was going on. "I'm sorry. Being here just makes me think of him. I don't mean to reflect on him." I replied quickly. "It's okay!" I replied quickly. Luke's shoulder hunched, guarded. "No need to worry." I scowled. "Fine." I didn't mean to ruin our time together with unpleasant thoughts." "You mean our date?" I looked at him with green eyes smoldering into mine, like he was challenging me. I stared at him with green eyes smoldering into mine, as if he was challenging me. He shakes his head and fiddles with the napkin on my lap. Just then, the waiter showed up, and I did not know what to say. I felt like my skin was clammy, and I picked up the menu and began looking at the sushi. Without even opening the menu, Luke said, "We'll just take the chef's choice." The waiter nodded, and Luke took my menu back from me and handed it back to him. As he explained, "The chef's choice is a multi-course entrée." "That made sense, but I still wanted to see what it was all about." However, given that he had been here previously, I assumed he would be trustworthy. In addition, the prices wouldn't make me cringe either, since he had been here before. We are going to start construction in a week. My mom won't be happy. "Did you settle your issue that brought you here?" he asked me as I sipped the wine our waiter dropped off for us. His expression turned weary, and he nodded. We're going to begin construction in a week. I doubted they couldn't afford it," but kept my opinion to myself when he asked, "Why not?" "Our budget went up." While he was discussing what the resort would have and what its best selling points would be, I tried to stay on top of his conversation. Despite the fact that his eyes lit up in excitement as he talked, I tried to keep up with him, even though most of the jargon was not clear to me. In spite of the fact that he complained about it, it seemed like a lot of fun. It was cute. I was blown away by Luke's intelligence yet again when the food arrived. After taking a few bites of the tasty oysters that we started with, his monologue suddenly came to a halt. Luke looked like a fidgety child, eating just the tiniest bites of the oysters before deciding whether he liked it or not. I bit my lip to avoid smiling at him. I was stuffed after the final course and paying the bill. We were outside in the midst of a golden sunset and it was great to watch it, shades of gold spanning across the sky, reflecting off the ocean as we went. Taking a glance at Luke, I noticed he was staring at me, but it didn't seem like he was ever catching me. He seemed to be staring at me all the time these days. "Why do you always look at me?" he asked. "His eyebrows furrowing slightly as he replied, "Why do you seem so appealing to me?Suddenly, my neck felt hot and I felt as if I was going to die. I couldn't feel my heartbeat. How could he say that so straight-faced? My mind was buzzing with questions about what the wine was doing or what he was saying. I glared at him. "You're everything I didn't expect to want," he said, ruining the atmosphere completely. "What do you mean by that?" I yelled. Almost. The shocked look on his face almost excused his idiotic insult, "I'm not rich and tan as an onion ring from Burger King." "What do you mean?He nodded, getting up from the table and pulling my chair out for me. I pulled it out before he could, since I couldn't sit here face-to-face with him for this conversation. Then I bee-lined for the beach, not even thinking about whether it was private or not. My sandals fell off, so I could walk better in the sand. "Why are you walking so fast?" I asked. Rather than face you, I said "I am sorry," allowing him time to catch up with me. "Do I make you uncomfortable?" he asked slowly. I paused, turning to face him. The sun shone on his skin, creating a golden hue that contrasted well with his dark hair. "Why did you ask me out today?" I blurted out. i***t, I berated myself. But I didn't stop there. "Was it for the contract? Or was it something else?" A hint of irritation crossed his features. "Do you think everything is for the contract?" "No," I said honestly. "I don't know anymore." "Did you want today to be a date?" he questioned. "Forget about the contract. A real date. Between you and I." Yes! My mind shouted. It's not right. We don't suit each other. Say no, Ella. "I..." I didn't know what to say. My mind was in turmoil. Rationality vs. irrationality. Reality vs. Daydream. "Stop holding back what you want to say. Tell me exactly what you're thinking," he said quietly and pleadingly, as if he knew the internal struggle I was having. "Yes," I breathed out. I felt my hands shaking at my sides. This wasn't right. He stilled, expression blank. "But we have a contract," I said, dropping my eyes, unable to look him in the face. "And our lives are too different. "I get that." I suddenly felt Luke's hand touching my cheek and turned my head back to the face. I realized just

how close he had come to me. All that was left was him and me. As if from nowhere, there was nothing else in the world except for me and him. His breath touched my lips. His body felt warm and comfortable on my cool skin. I felt it come crashing back to me, and I pulled away from him, feeling as

though I could hardly breathe. Goosebumps covered my exposed skin. I knew I was scared. His hand dropped. "This is not a good idea," I said. I really wanted to kiss him.. There was something that I wanted so badly, so badly, but I couldn't do it. I couldn't do it for myself. I knew I didn't belong in the

company of Luke. That was not my life. It wouldn't have been worth the pain. Deep down, I knew it. The moment I was about to back up a few steps, preparing to run, Luke appeared in front of me and pulled me into his arms, which resulted in my body becoming rigid as a result, and I stumbled ever so slightly. As he tightened his grip on me, he pressed my chest to his chest. You don't have to tell me anything you think you should do, I just wanna know what you want. It's your right to tell me anything you want. You have to tell me what you want to hear. It's important that I know I'm not the only one dealing with this." "Tell me, Ella." "Yes-" He pulled his hands back as he looked into mine briefly. As soon as the words left my mouth, he touched my cheek again and lifted my head back up. His lips touched mine again. Hard, and soft. After that, it dawned on me that I was not alone in this situation. You need to let me know that you're not the only one who's going through this. "I... "Tell me, Ella." "Yes... " He pulled back, his gaze scanning mine briefly. After he had pushed my head up again, I noticed his hand was on my cheek once more. Then he touched my lips hard, then soft. I realized that I had paid a price for it. I felt my heart beat hard or was it his heart beating faster and harder? Every sense in my heart was heightened. The waves roared in my ears. The pulse rushed through my veins.. His hand squeezed my waist. I was the first one to pull away from his neck with my hands. He was half-lidded at the time and watched me, but then a small smile crossed his face and he went back in for another kiss. After watching me for a moment, I was surprised that I had survived. My only thought was, thank goodness I ate that mint, and that was the only thing that crossed my mind. It was as if my heart was stopping all over again. I was not feeling my heartbeat at all. Heat was rising up my neck as my body kicked back in full force. "How is it that you are so attractive to me?" he asked simply, his eyebrows furrowing just a little. I thought I was going to die. I had no feeling whatsoever of my heartbeat. The way he said that made me wonder. Was it because the wine? Was it because of his words? "You're not what I expected you to be," he continued, ruining the atmosphere completely. I glared at him. "What do you mean by that?" I asked. Almost giving me an excuse to overlook his ignorance, his look of horror almost caused me to overlook his ignorance, "I don't have the riches, and I'm not as tan as a Burger King onion ring." He said, "Want to go for a walk on the beach? He got up from the table and moved to pull out my chair for me. I asked him to come over to this place so that I could speak with him face-to-face, but I hurried out to the beach, without even considering if it was private. In my case, I took off my sandals so that I could walk more easily, and Luke did the same. I said "I'm sorry," as a way of avoiding facing you, but he could catch up with me quickly. "Do you feel uncomfortable with me?" he asked slowly. I looked at him, paused, then turned to face him again. The sun shone on his skin, creating a golden hue that contrasted nicely with the darker hair on his head. The question I was asked was, "Why did you ask me out today?" I was embarrassed. It's a joke, I berated myself. But I didn't stop there. He looked slightly annoyed when I said, "Was it for the contract? Or was it something else?". My mind shouted at me, "Forget the contract, we're gonna do it right." "No, I'm not sure." The truth is that I am uncertain about. "I don't know any more." "Is today supposed to be a date for us?" "I'm not sure." "I don't know." I replied honestly. Tell Ella no, I didn't know what I was supposed to say. Rationality versus irrationality. Reality versus daydream. Rationality versus daydream. We are gonna talk about rationality as well. In response to his plea, he whispered, "Don't hold back. Tell me what you're thinking." I breathed in as if he knew what was going on. My hands trembled at my sides as I signed the contract. I was mad at him. He stilled, expression blank, as if to not know what to do. "But we have a contract," I replied, dropping my gaze to look him straight in the eye. A hand from Luke suddenly touched my cheek, and I turned back on my feet. As soon as I realized just how close he was to me, my world came crashing down. The touch of his breath. The warm body against my cool skin. I snapped back to life. The urge to kiss him was overwhelming; I wanted to do anything and everything I could. But I couldn't dare because I felt like I couldn't breathe. Goosebumps covered my exposed skin. I realized I was scared. His hand dropped. I told him it wasn't a good idea. There was no point in suffering. I backed up a few steps and prepared to run. I knew it wasn't worth it. It wasn't my life, and I knew it wasn't worth it. He grabbed me by the arm as I was running. As his chest pressed against mine as he tightened his grip on me, my body stiffened up, letting him do it. Tell me what you want. You are going to have to tell me what you really want. I don't care what you think. Just tell me what you want. My hand was on my cheek again, lifting my head, when I felt Luke's lips on the back of my hand. His lips touched me softly, then quickly, so that I knew I was not alone in this." "Tell me, Ella." "Yes, Ella." As soon as I finished talking, he pulled back, his gaze scanning mine briefly. Once again, his lips touched mine, very hard and close to mine. I had no longer much longer to say when Luke pulled back, eyes scanning mine once I realized I wasn't alone in this situation. "Tell me, Ella." "Yeah," I replied when he pulled back, eyes scanning mine once more. I lifted my head as his hand touched me again and then his lips touched mine, hard then soft. I realized then that it was all worth it. I could feel every tingle in my body when I heard it hammering against my chest, or was it his heart? I felt everything tingling. In the midst of the roar of the waves, my ears were ringing with the loud sounds that were emanating from the sea.It was with trepidation that I pulled away from his hand when I saw it squeeze my waist, and my breath came out shakily and uneasy. When he first approached me, my pulse accelerated. After watching me for a moment, with half-lidded eyes, he smiled, and then kissed me again. It was impossible for me not to feel thankful to God for having given me that mint after having eaten it.