Chapter:9
1255 Words
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The early morning sun spilled through the curtains, casting a pale light across the room.
Sky stirred, opening his eyes to find Camila nestled against his chest, her breathing slow and even in sleep.
He stared at the ceiling for a long moment, his mind oddly restless.
Camila shifted slightly, her arm tightening around him, as if even in sleep, she was afraid he might slip away.
Sky carefully moved her arm and sat up at the edge of the bed, running a hand through his messy hair.
He should have felt satisfied — last night had been... intense, physically at least.
Camila had given him everything she had, as always.
But instead of her, his mind was haunted by another image entirely:
Lily.
The fire in her eyes.
The way she slammed her hand on the table.
The trembling anger in her voice when she demanded his attention.
Sky leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, a small frustrated sigh escaping him.
What the hell is wrong with me? he thought.
Why am I thinking about her?
Behind him, Camila stirred awake.
"Mmm... come back to bed," she murmured sleepily, reaching for him.
Sky glanced over his shoulder, his face unreadable.
"I have things to do," he said curtly, already standing up and pulling on a pair of black sweatpants.
Camila sat up, the sheet falling around her waist, looking at him with pleading eyes.
"Stay a little longer... please?"
Sky paused for half a second — then shook his head.
"I can't."
Without another word, he grabbed his phone and his keys and headed for the shower.
Camila sat there, watching him go, the sting of rejection tightening her throat.
But she said nothing.
Meanwhile, Sky turned on the cold water, letting it run over his face, hoping to wash away the stubborn image of a certain fiery girl who refused to leave his thoughts.
But even under the freezing water, Lily's smirk burned brighter than ever
Then he picked up his phone..
----
Richmond mansion,Lily was lying in bed, scrolling aimlessly on her phone, still half-asleep, when a new message popped up from an unknown number.
Unknown Number:
“Hey, psycho. Hope you didn’t throw your phone across the room too. - Sky”
Lily sat up, wide awake now.
"Psycho?! Oh, he wants to die," she muttered, but a traitorous smile crept onto her face.
She quickly typed back:
Lily:
“Hey, ice cube. I see you’re still alive after last night. Impressive.”
A few seconds later, another message:
Sky:
“Barely. Had to call emergency services to recover from your tantrum.”
Lily rolled her eyes but couldn't help laughing.
Lily:
“You’re lucky you’re cute, otherwise I’d have thrown you across the restaurant too.”
This time, Sky replied almost instantly:
Sky:
“You think I’m cute? I’ll make sure to survive the next dinner so you can keep admiring me.”
Lily tossed her phone onto the bed, covering her burning face with a pillow.
"Why is he like this?!"
Her phone buzzed again.
Sky:
“P.S. Wear red again next time. It suits you when you're plotting murder.”
Lily laughed so hard she fell back onto the mattress.
Maybe... just maybe... this wasn’t going to be such a disaster after all.
---
Later that afternoon, Sky, freshly dressed and still brooding, drove into the city to clear his head.
He wasn’t planning to run into anyone — least of all her.
But as he pulled into the upscale shopping district and stepped out of his blacked-out car, he froze.
There, a few shops down, standing in front of a boutique window, was Lily.
She was laughing at something on her phone, completely unaware of him.
The sunlight hit her hair just right, making it gleam like dark gold.
She wore casual clothes this time — fitted jeans, a cropped white jacket, and chunky sneakers — but somehow she still made his chest tighten.
Sky cursed under his breath.
Of all places...
Before he could turn and walk the other way, Lily spotted him.
Her laughter died instantly.
She lowered her phone slowly, her lips parting in surprise.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
The busy city buzzed around them — car horns, chatter, music from storefronts — but between them, it was dead silent.
Then, in true Lily fashion, she smirked.
"Stalking me already, Mr. Cold-Hearted?" she called out, loud enough for a few bystanders to glance curiously at Sky.
Sky narrowed his eyes, shoving his hands into his pockets as he sauntered toward her.
"Don't flatter yourself, troublemaker," he said smoothly, stopping just a few feet away.
Lily tilted her head, studying him boldly.
"You look even grumpier than yesterday," she teased. "What happened? Your girlfriend dump you?"
Sky arched an eyebrow.
"I don't have a girlfriend."
The words slipped out before he could even think.
And strangely... they felt true.
Lily laughed again — a soft, real laugh this time — and Sky felt something inside him shift.
Maybe today wouldn't be such a bad day after all..
---
Lily tucked her phone into her jacket and stepped closer to him, mischief dancing in her eyes.
"So... if you're not busy," she said casually, "you can buy me a coffee."
Sky scoffed lightly.
"I don't remember agreeing to that."
"But you also didn't say no," Lily pointed out, flashing him a daring smile.
Sky stared at her for a long second, then let out a sigh — half annoyance, half amusement.
"Fine," he muttered. "One coffee. And don't expect me to make conversation."
Lily grinned triumphantly and led the way, weaving through the sidewalk crowd.
Sky followed, keeping a few steps behind, hands stuffed into the pockets of his black jacket.
They slipped into a cozy little café tucked between two designer stores. It was warm inside, the scent of roasted coffee beans and vanilla heavy in the air.
Lily ordered something sweet — a caramel latte topped with extra whipped cream.
Sky stuck with black coffee, no sugar, no fuss.
They took a corner booth by the window, sitting across from each other. For a while, true to his word, Sky stayed silent, sipping his coffee and staring out at the street.
Lily didn’t seem to mind.
She played with the straw in her cup, sneaking glances at him over the rim.
Finally, she said softly,
"You know... you're not as heartless as you pretend to be."
Sky’s eyes flickered to her, sharp and unreadable.
"And you," he said coolly, "are a lot more reckless than you let on."
Lily smiled faintly, tracing circles on the table with her fingertip.
"Maybe. But sometimes... reckless people are just tired of playing it safe."
Sky leaned back, studying her in a way that made Lily’s cheeks warm under his gaze.
"You don't even know me," he said.
"Maybe not," Lily said quietly. "But you don't know me either."
They held each other’s eyes for a long moment — the air between them thick with something heavy and electric.
Sky was the first to look away, setting his empty coffee cup down a little too hard.
"I should go," he muttered, standing up.
Lily stood too, grabbing her latte to-go.
As they left the café together, stepping back onto the busy street, Sky found himself matching her pace without thinking.
Neither of them said it — but somehow, both knew:
This wasn't the end of whatever had just started between them.
---
- Writer
