Too Far Gone
1218 Words
YULIA
The room stayed quiet for exactly three seconds after Kendrick spoke. Three.
Then Damon lost his mind. “Oh, this is insane,” he whistled, looking between us like he was witnessing live television. “He said that with his full chest too.”
“Damon,” Victor warned, already laughing.
“No, because what does choosing even mean?” Damon continued. “Are we talking romance? Marriage? Tax benefits? Clarify!”
I felt heat prickle at my ears. I avoided looking at Kendrick completely, which was difficult because I could literally feel his eyes on me.
Sophie looked seconds away from screaming.
Adeline, meanwhile, looked deeply invested in my suffering, wiggling her brows.
“You people are ridiculous,” I muttered.
“Yulia!” Sophie screeched. “Respectfully… what the hell is happening?”
“Nothing,” I answered too quickly.
“Mhmm,” Adeline hummed knowingly.
Across the room, Kendrick stayed irritatingly calm, making everything worse.
While I was internally combusting, he looked perfectly comfortable after publicly saying the most insane thing imaginable.
Damon pointed at him accusingly. “You can’t say something like that and then sit there looking like a billionaire therapist.”
Kendrick took another sip of his drink. “Watch me.”
Victor burst out laughing.
I pressed my fingers briefly against my forehead. This was a nightmare.
“Alright,” Sophie announced. “New topic before Yulia evaporates.”
“Too late,” Damon replied immediately. “She’s already buffering.”
“Damon,” I warned.
He grinned unapologetically. “I support women’s rights and women’s wrongs.”
Adeline nearly fell from the couch laughing.
Thankfully, the conversation slowly shifted after that, though I still felt off balance—mostly because Kendrick had changed something with one sentence.
Before tonight, everything between us had existed in a strange, unspoken space, hidden in glances, touches, and near-confessions.
But now… everyone knew something real was happening.
I didn’t think Kendrick regretted it at all. Neither do I.
About thirty minutes later, Sophie dragged Damon away to help with drinks while Victor answered a phone call near the hallway, which unfortunately left me alone with Adeline.
I already knew that look on her face as she observed me. “You’re smiling.”
“I’m literally not.”
She sucked her teeth. “Liar.”
“Can we not do this?” I picked at the hem of my top instead of looking up at her.
“No, actually.” She leaned closer. “We absolutely can do this because Kendrick Fernsby just looked an entire room in the eye and basically said he picked you.”
My stomach flipped violently. “When you say it like that, it sounds crazy.”
“Because it is crazy.”
I shrugged helplessly. Adeline studied me for a second before her expression softened slightly.
“Okay,” she said more gently. “Jokes aside… are you okay?”
The question caught me off guard. “I think so.”
“You think so?”
“I am,” I admitted honestly.
Whatever was between Kendrick and me was becoming more, and we’re going with the flow.
Adeline lowered her voice slightly. “Do you trust him?”
“Yes.” The word left my mouth before I could rethink it.
“That’s serious,” she said quietly.
Yeah. That was exactly what scared me.
“Why do you look stressed?”
I lifted my eyes instantly. Kendrick stood in front of me. He’d somehow crossed the room without me noticing.
Adeline leaned back against the couch slowly. “Perfect timing,” she murmured.
Kendrick ignored her completely, eyes fixed on me.
“I’m not stressed,” I lied.
“You pick at your clothes when you’re stressed.”
I rooted to the spot.
Adeline’s eyes widened slightly. Because Kendrick was right. I pick at my clothes when nervous or stressed.
I dropped my hand immediately.
“How do you even catch on to things like that?” I quizzed.
His mouth tilted faintly. “I notice everything about you.”
Adeline made a dramatic face before standing up. “Okay, I just remembered Sophie needed me,” she announced.
“You are so fake,” I told her.
“I love you too.”
And just like that, she abandoned me.
Traitor.
Kendrick sat beside me casually, one arm stretching along the back of the couch behind me.
“You’re overthinking again,” he said quietly.
I pouted. “You embarrassed me.”
That made him laugh softly. “Babygirl, half the room already knew.”
“That doesn’t help!”
“It should.” His gaze stayed steady on mine. “I meant it seriously.”
That stole every coherent thought from my brain. The noise around us faded again. I hated how easily he did that to me.
“Kendrick—”
“Do you want to be with me?”
The question came calmly. Too calmly. Underneath it, I heard something else. Like, despite everything, despite the teasing and confidence and chaos, he actually cared about my answer.
I swallowed.
“Yes,” I admitted softly.
He grinned, his expression changed, relief written all over. Weirdly enough, that affected me more than anything else tonight in a blissful way.
Before either of us could speak again, Damon’s loud voice echoed through the room. “MORE SHOTS!”
“Yes!” Sophie yelled back.
The mood broke instantly.
Kendrick leaned closer briefly, his shoulder brushing mine. “You got saved by alcohol again,” he murmured.
I exhaled a laugh, shaking my head.
Maybe I was doomed after all.
*****
“I want you close tonight, Yulia,” Kendrick said quietly the moment we got home.
His words surprised me enough that I blinked twice. “You sure about this?”
Kendrick exhaled slowly and rubbed the back of his neck like he was forcing himself to be honest out loud.
“The truth is…” His eyes met mine steadily. “I didn’t expect to feel like this about you.”
The air shifted between us.
“I know this is complicated,” he continued. “And I know we’re still figuring things out. But pretending I don’t feel anything anymore feels dishonest.”
My chest tightened.
“I’m falling for you, Yulia.”
The words landed softly, but their weight settled deep inside me.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Kendrick gave a small smile, quieter than usual. “I know it’s fast.”
I swallowed hard. “I’m not pretending either,” I admitted softly. “I’m falling for you, too.”
Something in his expression changed then—relief mixed with something warmer.
He stepped closer and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. His fingers lingered for a second.
“I’m tired of acting like you don’t affect me,” he murmured. “Every time you’re near me, I feel it.”
My heartbeat stumbled.
“And I want this to be real,” he added honestly. “Not some halfway thing we keep avoiding.”
“This is moving fast,” I whispered.
“I know,” he said again, his voice calmer now. “But it already started the moment we stopped pretending.”
- Writer
