44. I LIKE YOU, DANIEL
1553 Words
“Are you okay?” He asked me, his deep voice occupying the whole street.
We are at least two blocks away from the university.
“I am okay. Are you okay?” I asked him the same thing.
We sat at the bench here in the playground. No other people but us. Just some chirping of the birds, and our breaths.
“Yeah. I am.” He replied.
We just sat there for a while, silence engulfing our space. We just roamed our eyes around but we don’t try to look at each other. I could hear him clear his throat every once in a while but that’s it, he’s not talking to me.
I stood up from my seat and walked in front of him.
Confused, he just stared at me.
I don’t know what to do either. I shouldn’t be doing this but here I am bending on my knees.
“What are you doing?” He leaned forward so he could assist me to stand up but I placed my right hand at the back of his head and pulled it closer to me.
“I like you, Daniel.”
And that’s where everything felt like a sparks flying everywhere.
It’s my first time to kiss someone and I wasn’t aware about that there will be some kind of churning in the stomach. It was a weird feeling for me but it feels so good at the same time.
When I pulled away to catch both of our breaths. He stared at me, smiled and pulled me closer again.
I know I shouldn’t be doing this. I know if the organization will found out anything about this, I will be transferred in a matter of seconds. As far from here as possible.
I know the odds of having a nice ending for me would be close to zero but let me just give in for tonight.
Just give me tonight. I told myself.
“Wait.” This time, he was the one who pulled away. “Are you sure about what you’re doing?” He asked me. His breath is so close on my mouth. “You might be just getting carried away by what’s happening.”
He might be right. I could have managed to keep this feeling shut if it wasn’t for the drama that happened earlier, but it won’t change the fact that I do like him.
I don’t want to think about anything tonight. I just want him.
——————————————————————-
We walked for about twenty minutes. Just hopping between the pedestrian lanes. I really don’t know where we are going, I was just following the guy next to me.
He was smiling the whole time.
“Where are we heading?” I finally asked him.
His lips were just curving upwards, and I couldn’t help but smile, too.
“Down there. There’s a nice steakhouse down there.” He was pointing at the most lighted restaurant in front of us.
“Alright. But we need to be back before the curfew. You might get away with the consequences but I cannot.” I stated.
“Don’t worry. I got you covered.” He just told me casually.
I stopped on my tracks. “What do you mean?” I tilted my head in confusion. “You know I don’t like that kind of ‘special treatment’. I don’t want anyone to think I am just using you.
“Because you don’t and you actually like me?” He turned to face me with the most sweetest smile ever.
“Please don’t make me go hide.” I answered as I make my way past him. “Stop saying it over and over again.”
“What? That you like me?” He teased.
“Daniel!” I placed my hand on his mouth but to no avail, he’s so tall I cannot even get my hands near it.
“Nice try.” He held my hips and pulled me closer to him.
He kissed me again, in front of those walking past us. He just closed his eyes and kissed me as if he knows that tomorrow everything will go back to normal.
“I know I can’t have you this way.” He whispered as he pulled away from my lips. “I don’t know why but something tells me you’re holding back because of something.”
I just stood there, tiptoed, staring at his moving lips.
“And something tells me that you can’t tell me what.”
The honking of the car beside us took us both by surprise.
“Get a room, love birds!” A group of drunk teens inside the car laughed as they made my way past us.
Saved by the bell.
“It’s good, right?” He asked me as he chewed the remaining meat on his plate.
“It’s so good!” I exclaimed. “And it’s my first time to eat a steak that isn’t actually cost like a house.”
He laughed at what I said. “Well, for the record, I once ate a food that cost my tuition fee at Addilyn.”
I gasped at his story. “I’d rather starve.”
“Yeah. And the sad part is that it doesn’t even taste good.”
“Well, nothing hurts than eating something and it does not taste like the one you imagined.”
We just sat there, making random conversations, talking about a lot of stuff but never about ourselves. We both know we still have secrets to keep.
I found him so much different from the Daniel I first met, and it’s good to see him being all talkative and funny. It’s like he has this closet and he’s been keeping this side of him, just waiting to come out.
Is he like this to Andrea? Did he chose to put on the barrier after what happened to them?
I found myself different as well.
I could be the most inteovert human you could meet. I could stay at the corner all day and not talk to anyone. Yet here I am, telling funny stories, reacting to every word he said.
It’s like the world is ours for tonight.
Because tomorrow, everything about tonight will be forgotten.
At least, I felt how to be liked by you.
And it was so damn good…
——————————————————————-
“I need to go back to the dorm.” I told him as we went out of the restaurant.
“We could stay at my place.” I just stared at him, dumbfounded. “No… not my place.. I mean… The Sinclair’s hotel. You, me, different room.” He explained which fortunately, I managed to understand in between stutters.
“Calm down kid.” I teased. “That would be nice but I need to get back to my dorm.”
He was hopeful for a while, but when he saw I wouldn’t change my answer, he just sighed and gave up.
“Alright. I’ll take you back there.” He said to me. His face changed.
“I know you don’t want to come back there, yet.” I faced him. “You don’t need to take me home. Actually, I already texted Claude to fetch me here.”
“You texted Claude to pick you up but you don’t want me to take you back?” His face looked like he was hurt.
“He’s a good friend, and a free uber ride.” I smiled at him. “And you deserve a good rest, after what happened earlier. So just go straight to your place, and don’t worry about me.”
We went silent on our way to where Claude will pick me up.
“I know it’s impossible but I am being hopeful here that what happened tonight will continue tomorrow.” He stared at me, his orbs longing mine. He held both of my arms and sighed. “I really wanted this kind of day with you… I want more days like this… with you Alyanna… but” he stopped in the middle of his sentence, he caressed hair and kissed my forehead. “But I know it won’t happen any sooner… I can wait but please know that even waiting has it’s limit too. I just hope that when you’re ready, I am still here.”
Tears wanted to escape my eyes but I tried to contain it.
It would be very selfish of me to ask him to stay while I am still trying to finish everything because god knows what can happen. As much as I would like to tell him to stay, I didn’t.
I just nodded at him. He can wait until he can, he can go when he decided to leave.
Losing him will be my lost. I know that for sure.
Claude’s motorbike stopped right in front, the lights blinding us.
“Alright Cinderella, time to go home.”
And that’s my cue that I am back to the reality.
- Writer
