My heart races as I feel Sebastian's lips on mine, his hands weaving through my messy hair that's somehow escaped its bun. I start to kiss him back, matching his pace, feeling a mix of exhilaration and uncertainty.
"I've waited so long for this," he murmurs against me, his breath warm and inviting.
I relish the sensation of his lips against mine, wanting to embrace it fully. As I start to relax into his warm embrace, a shiver runs through me, a strange warning that sends a ripple of unease through the moment. "Delilah," I hear my name whispered in the air, urgent and distant. I open my eyes just as Sebastian playfully bites my bottom lip, coaxing me to deepen the kiss.
"Delilah!" The voice pulses through my brain like an electric shock, snapping me back to reality. I launch away from him, panic surging inside me. Sebastian's worried face is a breath away, his brows knit in concern as he pulls me back into his arms.
"What's wrong? Are you okay?" His voice is frantic, confusion etched across his handsome features. "I thought we were both enjoying it."
I shake my head slightly, trying to gather my thoughts. "No, I just heard something. It sounded like someone called my name. Did you hear anything?" I already know the answer.
"No, definitely not. I was a bit too distracted," he says with a cheeky grin, attempting to lighten the mood. "Maybe it was just someone over there; I wouldn't worry, darling." His tone is comforting as he leans down to kiss my cheek, grounding me momentarily.
I take a deep breath, still reeling from the unexpected interruption. "We should probably head back now anyway," I say, my heart still racing from the kiss and the unsettling voice. Sebastian's expression drops, disappointment flickering across his features. He must have wanted to pick up right where we left off. Sorry, not tonight, buddy.
"Whatever the lady wants," he replies with a light laugh, playfully bumping my shoulder as we start to walk back to the main area of the search.
"I hope you know how I feel now," he says, his voice hopeful, his eyes sparkling with sincerity. "Even if I have to wait for you to be ready, Delilah, I will."
"You definitely expressed how you felt, that's for sure," I say, a smirk tugging at my lips. "I see subtlety is not your specialty." I can't help but smile wider as a blush creeps onto his tanned face. He looks at me, about to respond, but then we're interrupted.
"Oh, Sebastian! I've been looking everywhere for you, love," his mother, Celia, says, her tone dripping with sweetness that could rival candy. If looks could kill, I'd be a puddle on the ground right now. I avoid her piercing gaze, which feels like daggers aimed straight at my soul.
"I didn't know you were bringing anyone, Sebastian," she mutters, a hint of disdain creeping into her voice. It's not a good look for her, honestly.
"Delilah, why don't you wait here while I sort out some family matters?" I hear Seb say, his grip on my shoulder reassuring as he starts to guide his mother away. He looks back, giving me a wink that makes my heart flutter. What a cheeky bastard!
As I glance around at the townspeople scouring the area with flashlights, an overwhelming sense of uselessness washes over me. I came to help search for not one, but two missing men, and all I've accomplished is getting Sebastian's tongue down my throat. What would Kai think of all this?
"Delilah," a gentle voice whispers, sending chills down my spine. I tense up, panic rising within me. I scan the area, but there's no one around.
I've gone insane. That's it; send me to the looney bin.
The voice comes again, more urgent this time. "Delilahhh," it whispers, laced with desperation and hints of pain and despair. "Find me, Delilah."
"Find you? Who are you?" I ask quietly, but the wind carries the strange voice away, leaving me in suffocating silence.
I look over to see Sebastian still engaged in a tense conversation with his family. A sick feeling settles in the pit of my stomach as I contemplate the mysterious voice. I ponder everything that's happened tonight as I start to move toward the fields, away from the bustling townspeople and the lake.
As I survey the dead bushes and overgrown fields, so wild that one could easily get lost in them, a glimmer of light catches my eye. If I hadn't been paying attention, I would have missed.
I stood at the edge of the field, my heart racing as I bent down to pick up the ring half-buried in the dirt. A wave of nostalgia hit me, and my palms grew clammy. "No way… This can't be," I whispered to myself, turning the ring over in my fingers. It was unmistakably Kai's—the very one I had given him all those years ago.
"What if he's still out there?" My mind raced, the flutter of hope igniting a warmth in my chest. The voice I had heard earlier echoed in my thoughts, wrapping my in a shroud of uncertainty. "What if that was Kai? What if I could find him? We could… we could be together again."
But then the memory of Sebastian's kiss crashed over me like a wave. "Ugh, I just kissed Sebastian— freaking King!" I groaned, burying my face in my hands for a moment. "What a mess. He's charming, he's infuriating, and… he's so easy to get lost in."
I looked back at the ring, the glimmering metal now a bittersweet reminder of a past that felt so close yet so far away. "But what does this mean? Am I really ready to dive back into that world? I mean, Kai… he was my first love. The voices, the memories… they're all tangled up in this."
I paced in a small circle, the soft crunch of grass beneath my feet grounding me as I wrestled with my thoughts. "Sebastian makes me laugh, he ignites something in me that I thought I had lost. But with Kai, it's different; it's deep-rooted and… and complicated."
I take a deep breath, feeling the cool evening air fill my lungs. "What if I'm just chasing shadows? What if I'm trying to recapture something that was never meant to be? But then again…" My fingers traced the outline of the ring, a small smile breaking through my confusion. "What if this is a sign? What if I need to follow this thread, see where it leads?"
With renewed determination, I stand tall, feeling the weight of the moment settle around me. "Alright, Delilah. Time to figure this out. First things first—find out where this ring came from. And then… who knows? Maybe it's time to confront my past, and maybe, just maybe, explore what's blooming with Sebastian."
I tuck the ring safely into my pocket, my heart still racing, this time with a mix of excitement and uncertainty. "Here goes nothing," I murmur, glancing back toward the gathering as Sebastian chatted with his family, a sly smile creeping onto my lips. "This night is far from over."