Daniel leads the way out of the cafe, the soft breeze from the outside playing with his hair. His hand brushes against mine, an electric current passing through the brief contact. For a second, I wish he would take my hand in his, but he doesn’t. We’re both silent as the door shuts behind us. He continues walking without a word, heading towards a park nearby.
Once we reach the park, Daniel leads me toward a secluded spot under a tall oak tree. The leaves of the tree cast shadows on the ground, the sunlight filtering through them in a mesmerizing way. The sound of birds chirping fills the air, adding a natural soundtrack to the silence between us.
“I hate it when you avoid me, you know,” he says, his voice firm but gentle. He leans against the trunk of the tree, looking at his shoes. “You act so brave.” He shakes his head. “Correction.” He looks up, his expression unreadable. “Youarebrave, yet you run away from me.”
He pushes himself away from the tree and takes a step towards me, his gaze intense. The sunlight casts a golden hue on his skin, making his eyes sparkle. He stops when he’s close enough that I can feel his body heat.
“You push me away,” he says, his voice barely above a whisper. “And it just—”
He pauses, visibly struggling to find the right words. He rakes a hand through his hair, messing up the perfect strands, but the slight imperfection only seems to make him more attractive.
“About the other day, Anya—” he says and puts a finger on my lips as if I am going to interrupt him. My eyes widen, taken aback by his action. “No, it was not. It did not happen in the moment,” he continues, taking his hand back. He looks into my eyes. Dazed.
“Why did you kiss me then, Daniel?” I whisper.
Sighing loudly, he reaches out and gently takes my hand in his, his calloused thumbs tracing soothing circles on my skin.
“Because I was jealous,” he admits.
The simple touch of his hand, his thumb rubbing circles on my skin, is scrambling my brain and sending my pulse into overdrive. “Jealous?” I manage to ask.
He nods. “You have no idea how long I’ve been holding back. The first second I saw you, I couldn’t get over how beautiful you were,” He says, his voice low and laced with aconviction that takes me off guard. “And then I got to know you. Thank god for that awful assignment.” He chuckles. “I have attended every single lecture on the subject because I wanted to see you, Anya. I did not even realize when making you laugh became so important to me.” His eyes hold so much sincerity, my heart does a cartwheel. “And he was making you laugh, so easily. I was just very angry.”
I can feel my breath hitching as he speaks, his words sending a wave of warmth through me.
“What I am trying to say here, Anya, is that…” He looks into my eyes, and I almost gasp seeing the raw emotions swirling in them. “This is the worst way to do it. You deserve better, but I need you to know it.” Unable to hold eye contact, I look down at my feet.
He steps closer to me and kneels, my eyes widening.Oh my god. Is he proposing? But why would he? That would be just too much.“What are you doing, Daniel?!” I exclaim.
“You are not looking at me, and I won’t talk if you do not meet my eyes,” he says, a small smile playing on his lips.
“I am not the best man out there. I admit it. And you deserve the best.” His smile only widens. “But I promise to do anything and everything to be who you deserve. So, if you will let me—” he inhales deeply, and so do I.“--can I be your boyfriend?”
I stand there in disbelief, my heart pounding in my chest. He’s kneeling before me, looking up at me with so much vulnerability and sincerity in his eyes. I can feel tears prickling at the corners of my eyes as the weight of his words weighs over me. This feels so official. My mind is reeling, struggling to process his proposal. He wants to be my boyfriend? It’s something I’ve thought about, but I never dared to hope for it. And now, he’s here, asking me if I would let him. Not if I can be his girlfriend, but if I can allow him to be my boyfriend.
I try to find the right words, but my throat feels constricted. He gets up and holds my hand. His palms are sweaty. “Please say something, Fire—” I think it’s enough running for now. I am going to take a chance. I slam my lips on his.
He freezes, surprise etched on his face. But the shock doesn’t last long as he quickly recovers from the surprise and responds to my kiss. One hand cups my cheek, the other wrapping around my waist, pulling me closer, his body pressing against mine.This kiss is unlike the kiss from the other day in the cafe. It’s soft and gentle, yet passion burns beneath it. It seems as if he has been waiting to do this for quite some time, and it excites me to know that he’s been holding back his feelings just for me.
He pulls away slightly, a breathless laugh escaping his lips as he looks at me with a dazed expression. “Is that a yes?” he asks, his eyes searching mine.
I roll my eyes, pretending to be unfazed even though my heart is doing somersaults. “What do you think, genius?” I raise an eyebrow as I smirk. He shakes his head, but a huge grin adorns his face, which makes me smile wider. He gets up and eyes me.
“I think that’s very much a yes, but could you say it for me? I need to hear it,” he says and pokes my nose.
“Yes, Daniel.” I look up at him. “I will allow you to be my boyfriend.” He laughs, the sound of his happiness filling the air. It is as if a weight has been lifted from his shoulders, as if a burden he had been carrying for far too long has suddenly been lifted. As he pulls away from our embrace, his eyes remain fixed on mine, an affectionate smile still tugging at the corners of his mouth.
“You have no idea how happy I am right now, Firecracker,” he says, still grinning uncontrollably.
“I think I really like making you smile,” I say as I hug him again.
∞∞∞
27
DANIEL
I am going on a date with Anya. My girlfriend. Fucking finally. I think I look creepy considering I can’t stop smiling at all. Coach was so done with me today at practice. I am just grateful he didn’t kick me out. I do not think I have ever been this happy. As her building comes into view, I spot her almost immediately.
