“I like the burgers here, and since you like sweet stuff, you can have a strawberry milkshake. It’s their specialty, but it isn’t my taste.” He shrugs.
“I will take your suggestion then.” I repeat the order to the waitress. She nods at us and walks away.
Daniel leans back in his seat, his gaze never leaving me. There’s an intensity in his eyes that makes me feel like I am the center of the universe. He is a very considerate, attentive guy in general, but with the attraction I feel for him, it becomes hard to not take it otherwise.
“Shouldn’t you be celebrating with your team?” I ask, genuinely curious as to why he is here with me.
“Yeah, probably,” he says, resting his chin on his hands, not breaking our eye contact. “But I guess this was more tempting,” he says quietly. My heart does a cartwheel, and I look away, trying to hide my blush.
The waitress soon returns with our orders, and I am grateful for the interruption. She places the plates and milkshakes before us. The smell of the greasy burger makes my mouth water.
Taking a bite of my burger, I can’t help but moan quietly at how good it is. I am definitely going to be a regular customer now, considering it is also quite close to the campus. “It really is very good,” I say with my mouth still full. I don’t believe in manners while I am eating, except maybe chewing loudly, because that irritates the hell out of me.
Daniel stares at me, his carefree self no longer visible. His Adam apple bobs as he gulps loudly. “Told you so,” he says, clearing his throat and shifting in his seat.
I frown at him. “Are you alright?” I ask.
He coughs. “Yeah, just feeling a little hot,” he says.
“It’s cold, Daniel. Are you okay?” I ask again. He hums and continues to eat. I observe him, but he doesn’t look at meat all. I shrug and dig in, too.
I take a sip of milkshake and grunt.Goddammit. “This is heavenly!” I exclaim. He shifts in his seat again, a scowl forming on his face, and I want to wipe it off. I take another sip, licking my lips.
“Are we done?” he asks as I finish the last bite of my burger. What is wrong with him? He was chill half an hour ago. Did I do something? I don’t think so, because I was just eating my food. Maybe he is tired, or he realized it would have been better if he had just gone out with his team. I feel my heart constrict. I nod wordlessly.
We get out of the booth and exit the diner after he pays our bill. I insist on splitting it, but according to him, it is his treat, and he is in a bad mood so I give up. He opens the door for me.
I get in the car and he does the same. I type in my apartment’s address in the GPS. We fasten our seatbelts, and he drives off. Our eyes meet for a second. His gaze softens, but I turn away, looking out of the window. I hate this tension.
I am usually okay with silence between us, but not this one; this one makes my heart feel heavy. I don’t think he regrets coming here with me. I am sure these thoughts didn’t even enter his mind, because for him, these are just trivial matters. He doesn’t care about his wins or losses. All he cares about is his role as a captain and his game, which is nice, even for an amateur like me, so maybe I am just overthinking.
I take a sip of the milkshake. The way the strawberry flavor bursts into my mouth every single time is a mystery to me. This thing is godly. I am sure Soph would love this; she’s obsessed with strawberries anyway. I wipe a drop from my lip and suck my finger. I am not ready to waste a single drop of this thing.
Daniel groans next to me. The car comes to a screeching stop. My eyes widen, and I cover the cup to save the drink from falling.
“What the hell?” I exclaim and look toward Daniel. His eyes are dark. He closes his eyes momentarily and clenches his jaw.
“I don’t care how delicious this milkshake is, stop licking your lips, and for the love of God, stop moaning.” He grits out.
I freeze when Daniel speaks, his voice low and deep. It makes a thrill run down my spine. I blink at him stunned, my heart beating madly in my chest. I can’t figure out what’s going on. Does it bother him? He’s seemed restless since the diner. Do I affect him as much as he affects me? The air in the car suddenly feels heavy with tension.
“Uh…what?” I reply, trying to understand what is up.
“Nothing.” He sighs, running his hand through his hair. “We have arrived,” he says, avoiding my eyes. I stare at his disheveled hair. I fiddle with the seatbelt buckle.
“Right. We have arrived,” I repeat. He doesn’t budge. He stares ahead, at nothing in particular. I unbuckle the seatbelt. One thing that’s clear from this exchange is that he is attracted to me physically, but that is not enough for me. I do not believe in one-night stands. I am not a fun and spontaneous type of person, I guess. I have to stay away from this man, because I not only find him captivating physically, but his entire personality charms me. I want to keep spending time with him. I want him near me. I find reasons to be close to him, and I know it may feel good now, but in the long run, it is going to be heartbreaking.
Because if he asks, if he makes a move right now, I will willingly give in. I will let him do anything, because that’s the power he has over me, and I hate that. He turns to look at me, his eyes travelling between my eyes and lips. I wait for him to move but he simply continues to gaze at my lips. I can't take this anymore. This is suffocating. I quickly get out of the car.
“Thank you, Daniel,” I say. He finally looks at me in the eye, his green ones shining in the moonlight.
Stop it, Anya.I inhale sharply. “Bye,” I say, finally. He opens his mouth to say something, but I close the door. I cannot hear his voice. I have to stay away from him for my peace. He’s not good for my heart.
I walk into the building. I look back as I take a step on the staircase. He’s still there in the car, gazing at me. I take in his face. He looks frustrated, like he is fighting a battle. I want to reach out and smooth the crease that has appeared on his forehead. But I will not, because my mother always says, ‘When and if it comes to choosing between you or anyone, choose yourself, because you are all you have.’ And it is said that mothers are always right.
∞∞∞
21
