Between The Lines and YOU

Twenty Six

It was only two in the morning when I woke up. My stomach felt strangely empty, though I wasn’t hungry. I was breathing just fine, yet it felt as though there was a hollow gap inside my chest, like something was missing. I tossed and turned, searching for a comfortable spot, but no matter how I shifted, I couldn’t fall back asleep. I was looking for something.

Was it love? Damn that stupid love. I hadn’t been able to sleep properly ever since he took me yesterday to his so-called safe haven. My head was full of questions that wouldn’t leave me alone. He was so different yesterday. Not moody, not cold. Sweet, even. Sure, he could be sweet sometimes, but yesterday was something else entirely. Our date had gone well. Strange joyful yet melancholic all at once. Yesterday was also the first time I’d seen him talk so much. It was disarming. After the date, he drove me back to my condo. Good thing I got home before Ivy. Saved me from the hot seat.

I finally sat up and shuffled to the bathroom like a zombie. I was dead tired, but I just couldn’t fall back asleep. I needed to see him, or at least hear his voice, or I’d go insane with these thoughts. After rinsing my mouth and splashing my face, I walked back out. Grabbing my phone, I typed out a message. If he replied, that meant he was awake too. Otherwise, no reply would mean he was asleep. Then maybe, if he did respond, I could call.

Elsa’s long-lost brother❄

Me: Knox, I have a question.

Sent 2:06 AM

I collapsed back onto my bed, staring stupidly at the screen. He was probably asleep at this hour. This was ridiculous. What was wrong with me? I missed him already. I was about to set my phone down when it chimed with a reply. My smile spread across my face faster than Flash himself. (Alright, maybe that comparison didn’t make sense, but who cared.)

Him: Srsly? At 2 o’clock in the morning?

Received 2:08 AM

Me: I just can’t sleep :(

Received 2:10 AM

Him: You can’t sleep because of some question?

Wow, that was fast.

Me: Yes, sir.

Received 2:10 AM

Him: ‘Kay. What is it? Just make sure it’s not nonsense.

I wanted so badly to tell him the truth, that I couldn’t sleep because I missed him. That he’d been in my head nonstop.

Me: Isn’t the color of the sky blue? Then why does research say it’s purple?

Received 2:11 AM

I exhaled deeply. What a stupid question. He’d probably think I was mocking him, bothering him at two in the morning. But it wasn’t nonsense. Dumb, maybe, but not nonsense.

Him: Go back to sleep. You need rest.

Me: But why are you still awake?

Received 2:13 AM

Him: Scarlett’s having a seizure.

I bolted upright at his reply.

Me: Do you want me to come over?

Received 2:14 AM

Him: And what do you think you can do?

Me: Uh, emotional support?

Received 2:15 AM

Him: Sleep, Pria. Get some rest.

Me: Then don’t :( Minus 100 points for your courting efforts.

Received 2:15 AM

I forced myself to lie back down, though I pouted at the phone. I just wanted to keep talking to him. Grabbing a pillow, I pressed it over my face and shifted so my feet were up against the headboard while my head dangled near the edge of the bed. Maybe I’d fall asleep this way. But then my phone rang. I bit my lip, trying to suppress the grin spreading across my face like an i***t. I knew it, he couldn’t resist.

Elsa’s long-lost brother ❄ calling…

I answered instantly.

“Knox.” My excitement betrayed me, making my voice squeak higher than usual. Not that Ivy could hear, she was dead to the world when asleep. A soft chuckle came through the line. God, he was so cute.

“You’re cute, love.” That single word made me want to leap through the phone and wrap my arms around him. Embarrassed, I sat up straighter even though he couldn’t see me.

“How’s Scarlett? Is she okay now?” For a moment, there was only silence on the other line. Then I heard a faint humming, too soft, as though his phone was lying some distance away. After a pause, his voice came back.

“She wants to talk to you.” He meant Scarlett. I nodded instinctively, ridiculous, since he couldn’t see me.

“Okay, sure.”

“Pria.” Her voice sounded weak, almost drained.

“How are you?”

“I feel awful. You’re visiting tomorrow, right?”

“Yes. Do you want me to bring you something?” I teased, as if I’d just come back from abroad.

“Yeah, maybe a sports car.”

“Which one? The twenty bucks kind or the fifty? Remote-controlled or not?” Her laughter spilled through the speaker, and I couldn’t help but laugh at my own joke.

“I don’t need anything. Just bring yourself here tomorrow, whole and complete. That’s all.”

“When did I ever come in pieces?”

“When you’re in b—”

“Alright, that’s enough,” Knox cut in, stopping Scarlett before she finished her sentence.

“Wait, Knox. She wasn’t done yet.” Scarlett’s laughter burst loudly from the other end. What on earth had she been about to say? Now I was curious. The call ended, and I thought that was it. But moments later, my phone rang again. This time, it was Knox himself. Scarlett was already asleep. Before long, my eyelids grew heavier and heavier. I couldn’t even tell if the call ended properly, because I finally drifted off to sleep at last.

_______________________________

“What’s wrong with my hoodie and joggers?” I glanced down at myself. My outfit was fine, new, even. I was wearing it for the first time.

“You i***t,” Ivy sneered. “I don’t know why Dana chose you as the muse for their booth. You look awful. Seriously, you look like an old hag.” If she weren’t my friend, and if I didn’t owe her, I might have been tempted to smash her face in.

“You look like a walking corpse without a head. If I lose my patience, I’ll snap your neck.” Before I could even unbuckle my seatbelt, she bolted out of her car and dashed off. Furious, I kicked her tire, only to instantly regret it. My foot throbbed. Her car tire was as hard as her face.

Stepping into Asher’s sprawling house, I spotted a baseball bat left near the door. Probably his, he often played with his dad. I grabbed it, planning to give Ivy a taste of it. She was draining every ounce of my patience. We’d only gone out because there was nothing to do at the condo. Our prelim exams had ended early, leaving us with a vacant afternoon. Knox was picking me up later, so we had plenty of time to get back before then. I smirked when I saw Ivy hiding behind Asher like a coward. Lyra was there too.

“Pria, drop that.” Asher’s calm voice reached me.

“Step aside, unless you want me to knock you both out.”

“I was joking earlier! You’re gorgeous, really. That outfit suits you.” Ivy clung to Asher like a shield.

“What’s with her outfit?” Lyra finally spoke up, her eyes darting between the three of us. She seemed to be the only sane one here.

“That’s what she’s wearing at the booth tomorrow. I was right though, wasn’t I? She looks—uh, better. Yes, Pria, you look prettier,” Ivy said, laughing awkwardly before turning back to Asher for support.

“She’s right, Pria. You are pretty. But… are you sure that’s what you want to wear at the booth?”

“What’s wrong with it?” I lowered the bat, though my hand itched to use it on Ivy’s face.

“It’s just… too simple. There’s nothing wrong with it, but wouldn’t you rather wear something more casual? Like shorts with an off-shoulder top? Or maybe a varsity jacket with shorts? You know, since there’ll be plenty of basketball, tennis, soccer, and volleyball players there.” Out of all Lyra’s suggestions, the only one that actually appealed to me was the varsity jacket with shorts. It fit the intramurals theme better. If I wore a casual dress, I’d look like I was headed to a christening. If I wore the side-shoulder top, it would look like I was about to perform some t****k dance challenge.

“Wait, where’s Kael?” The words slipped out when I realized he wasn’t there. I knew I had hurt him, but that didn’t mean he had to drag the other three into avoiding me too. None of them answered. They just averted their eyes.

“What did you two talk about yesterday? He was quiet before, but now it’s even worse. We don’t even know where he is.” I couldn’t answer Asher’s question. I couldn’t exactly tell them about Kael’s sudden confession. Even now, I still couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that he’d been harboring feelings for me all this time.

“Let’s leave him be for now. Maybe he’s just under pressure again from his parents, they want him to manage their restaurant.”

“That must be it. I heard Kael arguing with his dad on the phone the other day,” Lyra chimed in, backing Ivy’s explanation. Asher nodded, then took the baseball bat from me, excusing himself to fetch something from his room. Lyra slipped away to the theater room where we were supposed to marathon movies. That left Ivy behind. I knew she was about to start prying again.

“I’m not that close with Kael, but even I know he likes you.”

“Since when?” She just shrugged.

“So? Is it official now? I’ve noticed you’re hardly ever at the condo. I know you’re with him.”

“What are you talking about?” I dodged the question and started walking ahead.

“Either you tell me, or I’ll announce to the whole campus tomorrow that you two are together.”

“Are you insane?!” I snapped, irritation spiking.

“I’m not joking.”

“He’s still courting me,” I admitted, shoulders sagging.

“Why?”

“What do you mean, why?”

“Why is he still courting you?”

My brows shot up. “And why shouldn’t he?”

“You should’ve said yes already. Otherwise, he might get tired of it and realize he’s better off with his girlfriend.” Her smirk was infuriating. I was going to go gray early because of her. Why was I even friends with someone so merciless? I rolled my eyes. Conversations with her always ended like this, pointless, exasperating, like her brain cells were on vacation. I should’ve kept that baseball bat instead of giving it back to Asher.

We ended up spending the rest of the morning glued to Game of Thrones. By the time we reached episode three, I excused myself. I had promised Scarlett I’d visit her today but, of course, I also wanted to see the icy professor. I missed him. I had wanted to see him since last night. I told the three of them I had to buy a gift for my siblings. Ivy looked unconvinced, but she didn’t press. For all her teasing, I knew she cared. Honestly, I was getting nauseated watching her and Asher feed each other. They wouldn’t admit it, but there was definitely something going on. Lyra, on the other hand, seemed lost in her own little world, probably the only one actually focused on the show while eating pasta.

I texted Knox to pick me up at Castro Subdivision. I even took a tricycle there because if I waited outside Asher’s exclusive subdivision, those witches would definitely spot me. Their guards knew me too well. I found shelter at the waiting shed and pulled out my phone. No reply yet, but he had texted earlier that he’d pick me up. To pass the time, I distracted myself with a mobile game. Then, a sleek gray car stopped right in front of me. At first, I frowned, wondering why it had halted exactly where I stood, especially since I didn’t recognize the vehicle.

But then the tinted window slid down, and my lips curved into an involuntary smile. It was him. The man I had been longing to see since last night. He really was filthy rich, always driving a different car, like he was changing clothes whenever he felt like it. I stopped him just as he was about to step out and open the door for me. He was wearing a formal suit, and the effect was striking. He looked entirely different in this attire, so powerful, so magnetic.

“I’ll be home later, before four p.m. Is it alright if I leave you with Scarlett?” I didn’t stop him when he leaned over to adjust my seatbelt himself. God, he smelled so good.

“Knox, Scarlett’s a grown woman. I’m not babysitting a child.”

“She’s still not okay. What if she suddenly has another seizure?” I saw the worry and fear flicker in his eyes. I reached for his hand and squeezed it gently.

“I’ll be there. If she has a seizure, I’ll call you right away.” He stared at me for a moment before his lips curved into a smile. Then he leaned in and brushed a quick kiss across my lips. Instantly, my insides went into full celebration mode.

“I miss you.” His voice was so soft, so tender, as he caressed my cheek. I thought I might melt right there.

“Come on, you’ll be late for your meeting.” At that, his entire expression shifted. I couldn’t help but laugh, he was too cute when he sulked. I poked his arm when he ignored me, and still, the car wasn’t moving.

“Hey, are you sulking?” He stayed silent, brows drawn tight. My smile widened.

“Knox, don’t sulk.”

“I’m not,” he said firmly.

“Yeah, right. If you’re not sulking, then smile for me.” His brows only knit tighter, and I burst out laughing.

“Oh, my baby love’s sulking again—” I froze, my hand flying to my mouth as I realized what I’d just said. He, too, stilled, disbelief flickering across his face. Hell no, did I really just say that?

“Baby love? Oh, so I’m your baby love. I see.” He tried to hide his grin, but failed. Even his cheeks flushed red. I straightened in my seat, struggling to calm myself while my heart pounded like it wanted to break free.

“From now on, I want you to call me that. I’d love to hear it.” It was cheesy, but it felt incredible, like we were moving to the next level. I only nodded, which made his smile grow even wider. We didn’t talk again for the rest of the ride. We just kept sneaking glances at each other, grinning like idiots. Who would have thought this icy professor would end up as my suitor? Hashtag: my hair is officially floor-length.

When we reached his exclusive subdivision, I unbuckled my seatbelt. I opened the car door but didn’t step out right away. Instead, I looked at him, bracing myself for what I was about to do, and for the inevitable sprint afterward.

“I miss you too,” I whispered softly before planting a quick kiss on his lips. But before I could even grab the door handle, he pulled me back down onto his lap, pressing a searing, intoxicating kiss against my mouth.

“Mmm… love…” The way he breathed that word between kisses half-groan, half-confession, only fanned the fire building inside me. The car’s air-conditioning was on full blast, but it suddenly felt scorching inside, all because of us. His restless hands slipped under my hoodie, and just as they reached for the clasp of my bra, I caught them, stopping him.

We broke apart, breathless. He grinned mischievously while I turned crimson, unable to meet his gaze. Mission failed successfully. Damn it.

“Try harder next time, love,” he teased with a low chuckle. I rolled my eyes at him. Only then did I realize his car doors automatically locked. Before I could get out, he stole one more kiss from me, then started the engine and drove away. I couldn’t help but smile afterward, remembering just how quick and sneaky his hands had been. He was fast, too fast. Did he know I’d planned that? Maybe yes, maybe not.