Chapter 18. The Kiss She Felt Too Much
1284 Words
Arielle knew the magic was unstable, unpredictable, and extremely disrespectful of personal boundaries…
…but she didn’t expect it to react to proximity.
Especially not this proximity.
Because Noah was standing so close she could smell his cologne—warm cedar, quiet spice, a softness that made her stomach do gentle backflips. His eyes were fixed on her with that too-careful, too-tender expression that made every cell in her body forget the meaning of “chill.”
“Arielle,” he said softly, “look at me.”
She didn’t want to.
Not because she didn’t want to see him.
But because the moment she did…
The magic pulsed in her chest like a heartbeat made of light.
She stared stubbornly at the floor. “I’m not glowing. I’m fine. Totally normal. See? Nothing is happening. My emotions are very under control.”
A tiny spark of gold floated off her hair and drifted lazily into the air like a firefly.
Noah raised a brow. “Under control?”
“Shut up.”
He tried not to laugh; she could see it twitching at the corner of his mouth.
“Arielle…” he stepped closer. “…what are you afraid of?”
She backed up.
He took another step.
She backed up more—
Until her back met the bookshelf with a soft thump.
Perfect.
She was now cornered in a cozy aisle surrounded by romance novels. The universe had zero subtlety.
“Don’t you dare come closer,” she warned, holding up a finger.
He took one more step.
She slapped her palm against the bookshelf dramatically. “Noah Reed, I swear if you take ONE MORE—”
Another step.
He was right there.
Close enough that she could feel his breath warm her cheek. Close enough that her heart started glowing again, soft and golden, betraying her utterly.
Arielle whispered, “Noah…”
He lowered his voice, gentle and careful, like he didn’t want to spook her. “Is it really that scary?”
“Yes!” she said. “Because when I feel things— when I really feel them— the magic reacts!”
His brows drew together. “React how?”
She pointed at the floating spark that drifted past his shoulder like a confused Christmas ornament. “LIKE THAT.”
He watched it, amazed. “It’s not dangerous.”
“You don’t know that! What if it explodes?!”
“Ari— it looks like glitter.”
“Glitter can be deadly in large quantities!”
He laughed under his breath. “You’re impossible.”
“And you’re standing too close!”
He leaned just a little closer. “Do you want me to move?”
She wanted to shout YES.
She also wanted to scream NO.
Instead she squeaked, “Uhhh…”
His hand lifted—slowly, giving her every chance to pull away—and brushed a snowflake from her hair.
She froze.
Her magic did not freeze.
It surged.
A warm pulse radiated through her chest, soft and bright, filling the space around them in a faint shimmer like gentle shooting stars.
“Arielle…” he said quietly. “This magic… it reacts to your feelings, right?”
“YES. YES IT DOES. EXTREMELY. VERY MUCH.”
He swallowed, eyes locked on hers. “So if it’s reacting now…”
She covered her face. “No. Stop. Don’t finish that sentence.”
“…it means you feel something.”
She wanted to disappear into the floor.
But the magic had other plans.
A warm glow—soft as candlelight—wrapped around her like a breath of golden air.
Noah’s lips parted slightly. “It really is beautiful.”
“It’s embarrassing!”
“It’s honest,” he whispered.
Her heart thumped so loudly she was sure the books heard it.
He lifted her chin gently. She didn’t resist. Couldn’t resist.
“Arielle…”
His voice was quiet, careful, reverent.
“…do you want me to kiss you?”
Her brain short-circuited.
She opened her mouth—no words came out.
Her chest glowed brighter.
The lights above them warmed.
A soft breeze moved through the aisle even though the windows were closed.
The magic was not subtle.
“Ari…” he tried again, leaning just a fraction closer, “tell me to stop, and I will.”
Stop?
She should.
She absolutely should.
Her magic was reacting too much. She was glowing like a human Christmas lantern. Something wild and powerful buzzed beneath her ribs.
But she didn’t say stop.
She whispered, small and breathless:
“I… don’t want you to.”
Noah inhaled sharply.
And then he kissed her.
It wasn’t a rushed kiss.
It wasn’t desperate or dramatic.
It was slow.
Soft.
Like he was learning her, memorizing her, letting her feel safe enough to breathe.
Arielle melted.
Her hands found his coat, fingers curling into the fabric like she needed it to keep from floating away.
Because oh—oh no—
Her magic reacted.
Stronger than ever.
A warm burst of gold rippled out from her chest, blooming like sunlight. It filled the aisle, drifting through the bookstore in shimmering little sparks.
Noah pulled back for a fraction of a second, stunned. “Ari… your—”
She kissed him again before he could finish.
She didn’t realize she’d moved until her fingers were tangled in his hair and his hands were holding her waist like she was something precious.
The glow grew brighter.
The air hummed.
The lights flickered—not dangerously, just softly, like the room was exhaling.
The magic was too much.
Too warm.
Too bright.
Too real.
When they finally broke apart, both breathless, the glow around her dimmed slowly, settling back into her chest like a shy heartbeat.
Noah stared at her—really stared—like she was something remarkable.
“Arielle…” His voice was unsteady. “That wasn’t normal magic.”
“No,” she whispered. “That was… too much.”
But her heart didn’t feel scared.
It felt alive.
He brushed his thumb across her cheek, gentle. “Are you okay?”
“…I think so.”
“You sure?”
She nodded—then immediately shook her head. “No. I’m absolutely not okay. I’m glowing from the inside. I’m going to spontaneously combust. This is how I die.”
He laughed softly. “You’re not going to combust.”
“My chest is literally warm.”
“That’s called liking someone.”
She shoved his shoulder. “Shut up.”
He caught her hand before she could pull away.
“Arielle,” he murmured, “that kiss… it didn’t just affect you.”
Her breath hitched. “What do you mean?”
He stepped closer, lowering his forehead to hers. “I felt something too.”
Her heart erupted into fireworks.
The magic sparked again—just a little, like a shy twinkle—before settling down.
Noah rested his hands on her waist, steadying her. “I don’t know what this magic is doing, but… whatever it is, I’m not scared of it.”
She swallowed. “You should be.”
“Why?”
“Because the stronger my feelings get… the stronger the magic becomes.”
Noah held her tighter.
“And what if I want it to?”
Her knees almost gave out.
She whispered, trembling, “Then you’re going to see a lot more magic.”
He smiled, soft and warm. “Good.”
Her stomach flipped.
Her heart glowed.
And she realized—
The magic wasn’t too much.
She was just feeling too much.
And maybe…
Maybe that was exactly what it needed.
- Writer
