Hello Mr. Arrogant

Chapter 14

[Not edited]

Chapter 14: {Central Park}

"Look!" I screamed pointing at a vendor down the pathway. I felt like I was in heaven. Even though Ashton tried his hardest to seem like he wasn't having fun, I knew when I wasn't looking, he'd smile softly to himself or laugh at my stupid antics. Making him happy made me even happier, and that was worth it for me. As an extra bonus, though, I got to explore Central Park.

"Can we, please?" I begged. I was about to go down on my knees if he had said no, but fortunately for me and my kneecaps, he nodded his head. My whole face lite up with excitement as we made our way to the vendor.

"Hello," I beamed greeting the old man with a wave. He smiled. I scanned the menu quickly finally choosing what I wanted. Everything was ice cream or had ice cream with it.  "Can I have," I looked over at Ashton, who was staring at something in the distance. "We'll have a cone of vanilla and chocolate."

Satisfied, I watched the man scoop each cone. "Could I have sprinkles on the vanilla?" I whispered trying not to distract Mr. Hadley. The man nodded and added sprinkles before handing both cones to me.

After paying and saying thank you a few hundred times, I drug Ashton to the nearest bench to eat our ice cream. "Here," I mumbled handing him the chocolate.

He looked puzzled. "I don't like ice cream." This guy keeps surprising me today.

"You could've told me that before I paid for it," I sighed defeated. I stuck my tongue out very childlike and licked the sweet froth. I couldn't remember the last time I'd had ice cream, but I knew this stuff was better than most.

"How much was it?" He asked me looking at the frozen dessert in his hand. 

Remembering how much the lemon cake was from Clair De Lune, I smiled cheekily. "Fifty dollars."

"That's not possible." He looked shocked when I said that. "That's absurd." People passing us now stopped to watch whatever scene was unfolding. Or perhaps just to ogle at the man beside me. I would say it was fifty-fifty.

 "You know," I started to speak. "If you keep staring at it like that, I bet laser beams will eventually come out your eyes." I took another lick from my ice cream.

"Very funny," he rolled his eyes.

"Don't worry about the price, Mr. Hadley. I've got it covered." I really tried to be professional and friendly, but this man had a funny way of cracking my wall into rubble from just looking at me. 

His electric eyes glanced at me and started reading me like a book again. This time, however, I saw that he didn't understand most of it.

Is he trying to make me feel self-conscious? 

I took a huge bite out of my cone after he looked away. I thought that bringing him here would be almost perfect. We would travel around, look at everything, and then by the end of the day he would have opened up to me. But I'm seriously starting to think the movies lied to me when they showed that this situation always ended well. 

I just wanted my phone back. Is that so bad? This trip was not going the way I had planned, and I needed a way to fix it. Quickly.

"How about this, Mr. Hadley. You take me somewhere?" That should hopefully fix our awkward situation. I waited patiently for his response, tapping my foot on the gravel. His gaze was penetrating. I felt vulnerable and weak just sitting like this together. I also had an urge to grab his hand, but I just shook that away instantly. 

"Come, Lydia." I hadn't realized I was spacing out until I heard his deep voice call out to me. He had his hand stretched toward me, offing to help me stand.

"I'm not a dog, sir." Instead of grumbling or huffing, I smiled. A part of me missed him calling out to me like that. My insides warmed and I felt safe. Secretly, I wished he'd never stop speaking to me that way, but I knew I'd never tell him. That was a secret that would go to my grave.

We walked for a good five minutes before being stopped by a group of tourists asking for directions. I pointed them in the right direction but noticed I was alone. Mr. Hadley seemed to have left me by myself. 

Great.

I continued walking until I stood on an open bridge. Some people were taking pictures of the scenic view, while others kissed on top of the peek. And then I saw a sight that took my breath away. There he was, standing, watching me from the other end. He waited, silently, as I crossed the steel bridge. 

"Why'd you leave me?" I asked knowing very well how childish it sounded.

"I thought you were right behind me," He shrugged his shoulders. "Do I have to keep a leash on you?" I knew he was joking, but I couldn't get that image out for my head for the rest of the walk.

Belvedere Castle was now in front of us. I took a few deep breathes and tried not to overthink the current events. This was the most romantic place in all of Central Park, depending on who you asked. For me, this was where my dad proposed to my mom, and where my cousin got married.

I also heard a rumor that if you took someone up to the highest point and kissed them, you were destined to stay together. I wondered if that applied to people who weren't a couple.

Somehow, on my haste to set my plan into action, I forgot to bring my camera. My phone's camera, even though it has one, had the worst quality and a crack crossing the middle of the lens.

"I brought Jenna up here one time," Ashton said as we ascended the stairs. I also wished I hadn't worn heels today. 

"And?" I inquired, realizing he was finally talking to me.

"She hated it." I gasped. How could someone not love the view? It was beautiful especially with the sun behind the trees and the reflections in Turtle Pond right below.  

"If it makes you feel better, Ashton, I love it up here." I was grateful he brought me here and shared a bit with me. It wasn't the great confession I was hoping for, but it was better than nothing at all.

"I always thought it was beautiful." We both leaned against the railing staring at the horizon. I knew that the cold, arrogant mask he had was just that. A mask. The car rides, the rare smiles, inviting me to his home, playing video games with me, coming up here; they were all signs that he was slowly letting his guard down around me.

"I wanna capture this moment," I started, taking out my phone and going to the front-facing camera. At least this lens didn't have a crack. I grabbed his arm as we stood in front of the breathtaking scene behind us. Holding my breath and leaned his cheek down to mine and snapped the picture before he could move away.

"Lydia." He jumped back in surprise. I giggled looking at the gorgeous man in the photo with me. His eyes seemed even more saturated than in real life and stealing the entire focus of the shot directly to them. On the other hand, my eyes were bright with happiness, but the color was dull and boring compared to his.

I glanced down at the time. "Oh no," I muttered, sticking my bottom lip out in a pout. "We should probably head back."

I hated that the day was cut short. I wanted to spend more time with him and get to know him better, but it was already four-thirty and it was at least a twenty-minute walk to the station.

"Let me-"

"I'll do that-"

We both collided into one another, chest-bumping into chest. Our limbs tangled together to stop each of us from falling over. Instead of helping each other, we both generated enough force to knock us both over, creating a heaping pile of hot bodies and staggered breathing.

I stuttered. "I-I'm so sorry." I tried to move my arm, but I couldn't find the strength to leave his body heat.

"It was my fault," he said staying completely still on the stone floor. Our eyes connected and I felt as though I was drowning in their density. I couldn't place the color until now. After I had gone through a mineral magazine yesterday, I found the perfect way to describe the intensity. Blue topaz. They were two large blue topaz crystals that also seemed like an ocean.

Does that make sense?

Our bodies shifted into a more comfortable position but stayed close together. I was on top carefully trying not to doing anything drastic. You know those thoughts you get when you're bored or curious. Like if you're at the top of a tall building and you have the urge to jump off, or just throw your phone out the car window on a long drive? I had, staring at his perfect face, the sudden desire to kiss him. I really just wanted to be as close as possible to this guy and more intimate than I've ever been with a person.

Crazy? I know. I felt like a fool for longing for a guy who was already married. Jenna was a wonderful person, from what I guessed from the few times I've met her. She did nothing to harass or throw judgment on anyone. Her kindness was as bountiful as her breasts and her smile as wide as her hips.

 For the life of me, I couldn't stop comparing her body to mine. She was sleek and sharp, while I curved and rounded out. While her hair glowed, mine was sheer. Her skin radiated with a slight tan. Compared to mine, which was porcelain and spotted in some places, she was an almighty deity. 

Standing next to Ashton Hadley, despite her beauty, lessened her impact as a threat. She couldn't compare to him in my opinion. She tried too hard to stand tall and failed at not showing her imperfect emotions around him. Jealousy was her weakness. She had no faith in her husband's promise to be faithful.

Hell, I wouldn't trust him either.

"I'm sorry," I said pulling myself off the ground. He followed after, grabbing a hold on my forearm before I could walk away. I couldn't stop the surge of shivers as they coursed down my spine and curling my toes. 

He was so warm and so inviting. I sighed with pleasure when he didn't release me.

"We should go," He spoke under his breath. I couldn't have agreed more, but then why didn't we pull apart? Was his hand stuck to me like my skin was an adhesive? 

God, his eyes were so hypnotizing.

He lowered his head to the point where I felt his minty breath fanning my face. My eyes fluttered shut out of habit when I realized he was getting closer. I could almost taste his lips on mine. The soft, tender flesh on flesh. The sweet taste of him sent my heart pounding.

Kiss me, please!