The Kiss
995 Words
I walked toward the swimming pool area slowly, my footsteps light against the stone tiles. The night air was cool, wrapping around my skin like a thin veil, and the water shimmered under the soft lights, calm and deceptively peaceful. This place was always quiet at night. Too quiet. It was the only place in the estate where I could breathe without feeling watched.
I raised my phone and pressed it closer to my ear.
“Janet?” I whispered, keeping my voice low.
“Yes,” she replied softly. I could hear hospital sounds in the background. Beeping machines. Distant footsteps.
My chest tightened. “How is she?”
There was a pause, just long enough to make my heart stutter. “Jasmine is still asleep,” Janet said gently. “But the first surgery went well. The doctor said it was successful.”
I closed my eyes, relief flooding through me so suddenly my knees felt weak. “Thank God.”
“They will perform the second surgery tomorrow morning,” she continued. “They are monitoring her closely.”
I nodded even though she could not see me. “And the third?”
Her voice dropped. “They are still looking for a donor. Because of the heart defect, it is taking time. But before that, for the third surgery, they will need full payment.”
My heart sank again.
“How much time do we have?” I asked quietly.
“A few days,” she replied. “They are hopeful. We just need to stay strong.”
Strong.
I had been strong for so long that sometimes I forgot how tired I was.
“At least the first one is done,” I said, forcing a small smile into my voice. “And the second will be done tomorrow. That is something.”
“Yes,” Janet agreed. “She is a fighter. Just like you.”
I swallowed hard. “Please stay with her. I will come as soon as I can.”
“We are here,” she assured me. “Do not worry. Go rest a little.”
I nodded again, gripping the phone tightly. “I will call you later.”
As I lowered the phone slightly, a sudden presence behind me made my skin prickle.
I gasped sharply, my foot slipping.
For a split second, I thought I was going to fall straight into the pool.
I screamed, flailing slightly, but strong hands caught my arm before I could lose my balance. My heart was pounding so violently I could feel it in my throat.
I looked up.
Zane.
He stood there, looking down at me, his expression unreadable in the dim light.
“Sir,” I breathed out, clutching my phone tightly. “I owe you respect, but can you not sneak up on someone like that?”
I glanced at my phone quickly. Thank God it did not fall into the water.
“Are you okay?” Janet’s voice came faintly from the phone, still connected.
I rushed a few steps away from the pool edge. “Yes, yes, I am fine,” I said quickly. “I will talk to you later.”
I ended the call and slipped the phone into my pocket, my heart still racing.
Zane watched me closely.
“Who was that?” he asked.
“My sister,” I answered truthfully. There was no need to lie about that.
He nodded slowly, as if filing the information away.
Then he did something I did not expect.
He took off his shoes.
Before I could process it, he stepped forward and jumped straight into the pool.
Water splashed everywhere.
“What the hell are you doing?” I exclaimed, stepping back in shock.
He did not answer.
He moved through the water toward me, his movements slow, deliberate.
That was when I noticed it.
The slight unsteadiness.
The way his eyes looked darker than usual.
“You are drunk,” I said quietly, realization hitting me.
He stopped in front of me, water dripping from his hair and shoulders. “Maybe.”
“Sir, what are you doing?” I asked again, my voice tense.
He backed me toward the edge of the pool without touching me, his presence alone forcing me to retreat. My heels met the cold stone, and there was nowhere else to go.
“Move,” I said, placing my hands against his chest, trying to push him back.
He did not move.
Instead, he leaned closer.
Too close.
His face was inches from mine, his breath warm against my skin.
And suddenly, I was not here anymore.
I was six years back.
The same face.
The same sharp features.
The same eyes.
He had not changed. Not really. He had only grown more mature, more dangerous, more handsome.
I found myself staring at him, lost, my hands still pressed against his chest but no longer pushing.
“Anna,” he murmured softly.
Hearing my name on his lips sent a shiver through me.
“Sir,” I whispered, my voice barely steady.
He did not respond.
Instead, he lifted his hand and brushed his thumb lightly against my cheek.
That touch broke something inside me.
Before I could stop him, before I could stop myself, he leaned in.
His lips met mine.
My breath caught.
The kiss was slow at first, hesitant, as if he was testing something he did not fully understand. Then it deepened, his lips moving against mine with a familiarity that terrified me.
I should have pushed him away.
I should have slapped him.
I should have reminded him of everything that stood between us.
But I did none of that.
For a moment, I kissed him back.
The world faded. The pool. The estate. The rules. The lies.
All of it disappeared.
And all that remained was the dangerous pull of a past I had never truly escaped.
- Writer
