“I am going to kill you,” she mutters. The way she is avoiding my gaze is incredibly cute.
I gently grab her chin, forcing her to look up. Her eyes widen, and her breathing turns shallow. I lean closer, my breath brushing against her cheek. “No, you’re not,” I whisper and kiss her cheek.
I straighten up to look into her eyes. “I am staring because I like seeing you happy.” I smile. “It looks good on you,” I add.
The cool evening breeze plays with her wavy hair, making it flutter around my fingers. Her flushed cheeks from the spicy food contrast against the darkness, and it’s a sight to behold. But I can’t help but get lost in her eyes, the moonlight reflecting in them, causing them to sparkle. They look brighter and more beautiful than ever before, making me smile.
I watch as she bites her lips, suddenly becoming all shy. It’s adorable. She looks away, her fingers nervously fiddling with my t-shirt. Her touch is so gentle, like she’s afraid to go too far. I love this side of her. She’s usually so sassy and reserved; this side makes me feel close to her, like she is letting me in. She is letting me see herself like this, and I do realize it isn’t easy for her, so it makes me more grateful.
“Shut up,” she murmurs, her fingers pinching my arm.
I let out an exaggerated gasp and feign hurt. “That hurt.” She mocks a smile at me and I laugh loudly.
∞∞∞
28
ANYA
I nod at the security guard and he smiles back as I enter the building. Daniel is standing right next to him, his hands in his pockets. He looks too attractive in those gray sweatpants. I look him up and down, taking in the sight of him in his casual clothes. His hair is tousled, falling haphazardly on his forehead, and his face is still flushed from the cold shower he was talking about in his text. He had mentioned he liked taking a cold shower after his matches as it helped loosen the soreness from the muscles, and I wanted to say, ‘I could give you a massage,’ but I held back. That’s just too much right now, I guess.
His face lights up as he looks at me and a broad smile forms on his face. He walks towards me, his arms outstretched to pull me in a hug.
“Hey,” he whispers, his breath against my ear. The familiar scent of his cologne envelops me, and my heart rate instantly picks up.
I bury my face in his chest, wrapping my arms around his waist. He squeezes me tighter and rubs my back softly, his tallbuild surrounding me.
Daniel pulls back slightly, his hand sliding down my forearm as he gets a hold of mine. “You are pretty,” he murmurs, his eyes roaming over my face.
“You’re not so bad yourself,” I tease, giving him a smirk. His hand is warm against mine as he pulls me toward the staircase. I tug at it as if I could possibly stop him. “I am not a big fan of exercising, captain,” I whine. “I am not going to climb twelve floors.” I glare at him.
“Um…” Daniel begins but then stops. He opens and shuts his mouth at least three times. “I moved,” he finally says, smiling sheepishly at me. “To the first floor,” he adds.
“When?” I frown. “And why? Your apartment had a wonderful view,” I comment.
His face falls. “I just—” He sighs. “I did not want a repeat of last time.”
I tilt my face in confusion, and then it hits me: he’s talking about the panic attack I had when I was stuck in the elevator.
“You moved so that I do not have to use the elevator?” I ask carefully.
Daniel’s face turns red. “Yeah,” he says in a quiet voice, his eyes still fixed on me. “I could not risk you getting stuck in that goddamn elevator again.” His words surprise me, my heart skipping a beat at the thoughtfulness behind his action. “I hate the look of fear in your eyes. It doesn’t suit you,” he says, his voice sharp. “And me and my roommates decided to move to a smaller flat to cut costs.” He rushes out.
No one has ever been this careful or mindful of my fears and triggers before. I mean my family has always supported me, been there for me when I needed them, but no one has ever put in so much effort just for my comfort. My heart aches at the thought of him being this considerate. I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face at his words. “Thank you,” I say softly, my voice thick with emotion. “Youdidn’t have to do that for me, you know.”
He smiles. “I know, but I wanted to,” he says and pulls me to the staircase. “Don’t make a big deal out of it because really, it’s the least I could do. Okay?” he says, grinning at me.
I nod, feeling a wave of emotions wash over me. We climb the stairs in silence, the sound of our footsteps echoing off the walls. Daniel opens the door to his apartment, gesturing for me to step inside. I step into the room, my gaze flickering around the space. The apartment is spacious, with large windows that let in the last remnants of sunlight.
“This is nice,” I murmur, looking around the living room. “Somehow better than the last one.” I smile as I look up at him. He kisses my hair and wordlessly guides me deeper into the apartment. We enter the kitchen. It smells nice, and as if on cue, my stomach rumbles.
“Sounds like someone’s hungry,” Daniel teases, a playful smile on his face. “I made spaghetti for us.” He takes my hand and leads me over to the counter, pulling out a stool for me to sit on. We had planned to go out, but then I had a sleepover with the girls. We have been doing it since the first semester. I told him if we go out, I will be too tired and end up sleeping, so he just invited me over. I thought we would relax, but I guess he went all out and cooked for me. I smile at him as I perch on the stool, my stomach rumbling again as the aroma of the spaghetti wafts toward me.
Daniel begins to ladle the spaghetti onto two plates before placing them on the counter next to the stools. He hands me a plate, and I take a bite, savoring the rich, flavorful sauce.
“This is good,” I say between mouthfuls. “You’re a great cook.”
He grins, visibly pleased by my compliment.
