As we came back from seaside trip, there was heavy air between us, unspoken tension, every glance from Robert making a jolt go through my chest. And even though Noel was there chatting about the day, I couldn't focus. My thoughts would be encircling those few moments spent with Robert; the way he grasped me tight during kabaddi, and the wicked smile at lunch that seemed to reveal a bit of mischief. That quiet intensity was there when teasing me in his voice.
On reaching home, Noel announced, "I have to meet friends. Don't wait for me to come home," and picked his car keys from the pocket.
" Robert, are you coming with me ?" Noel asked.
Robert looked at me as I was standing beside Noel, smiled and said, " no dude, you can go. I have other things to take care of ." Robert replied to Noel but his gaze was at me.
I smiled by turning my head to the other side.
Noel and Robert went out together and I said bye. I closed the door and fell on the couch.
I was little disappointed that Robert also left.
I closed my eyes and sighed.
The door suddenly opened and I turned around to see who was it.
To my shock, it's Robert.
" So relaxed, baby ? " He said teasingly.
The moment the door closed behind him, the silence between Robert and me had become almost palpable.
He rushed towards me, jumped on to the couch and kissed me extremely deep for about five minutes.
We both breathed heavily after the kiss. He turned his head towards me and gazed at me romantically but this time, I want to tease his eager for romance.
" I have work to do. Need to clean the house ", I said and got up from the couch.
He furrowed his eyebrows. Seems like he guessed my plan but it's okay. It's all a part of fun.
I busied myself with cleaning up, trying to ignore the weight of his gaze.
"You seem distracted," he said, leaning casually against the kitchen counter. His voice was low, teasing.
"I'm fine," I replied, avoiding his eyes as I gathered the plates from the table.
He took a step closer, his presence commanding. "Are you sure? Because it feels like you've been avoiding me all day."
My hands froze mid-movement, the plates clinking softly as I set them down. "I'm not avoiding you," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
He reached out, his fingers brushing against my shoulder, sending a shiver down my spine. "Then why can't you look at me?
I turned to face him, my heart pounding as I met his gaze. His eyes were dark, filled with an emotion I couldn't quite decipher. "Robert, what do you want from me?" I asked him.
His lips curled into a slow, teasing smile. "You," he said simply.
It just hung in the air between us, the single word, heavy with meaning. I took a step back, needing room to breathe, but he followed it up with no trouble.
"Why do you keep running from this?" he asked, his voice soft but insistent.
"Because," I said, the words failing to come together right. "This is all so new. So intense.
He cupped my face gently, his thumb brushing against my lower lip. "It doesn't have to be scary, Amy. Just let it happen."
He leaned forward before I could respond, and his lips pressed mine in a kiss that was both tender and demanding. As I kissed him back, melting into the gesture, my hands found their way to his chest.
When we finally broke apart, I was breathless, my cheeks flushed. He rested his forehead against mine, his hands still cradling my face.
"You have no idea how long I've waited for this," he murmured.
As the night wore on, the electricity between us only increased. We sat down to watch a movie in the living room, but we both didn't pay much attention to the screen. Robert was sitting beside me, his arm resting casually across the back of the couch.
He was the one who had reached out and taken my hand halfway through the movie. The fingers entwined around mine, sending warmth through me; I could not help but glance at him.
"What?" he asked with a playful smile pulling at his lips.
"Nothing," I replied hastily, averting my eyes.
He chuckled softly, tracing circles on the back of my hand with his thumb. "You're adorable when you are flustered, know that?
I would have answered when he suddenly shifted to lean closer.
A question like that catches me off guard.
" Let me show you something."
He stood up, pulling me up with him. I did not ask where we were headed, and he took me to the balcony. The cool night air engulfed us as he positioned me before him, his arms around my waist.
"Close your eyes," he whispered into my ear, his breath warm against my skin.
I hesitated for a moment before doing so. He took my hands and placed them on the railing of the balcony, his touch firm yet gentle.
"Now, breathe," he whispered.
I breathed in, and the salty tang of sea air filled my lungs. I started to relax slowly, leaning back into his embrace.
"This is how it feels to let go," he whispered, his lips brushing against my ear.
I opened my eyes, turning to face him. The intensity in his gaze made my heart skip a beat. "You make everything sound so simple," I said, my voice trembling.
"Because it is," he replied, his fingers gently tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "You just have to stop overthinking and feel."
The rest of the night was spent in seemingly quiet segments and stolen glances. At one point, we ended up on the roof, lying side by side as we watched the stars flicker in the sky.
"Do you ever think about the future?" I asked, breaking the comfortable silence.
"Sometimes," he admitted. "But right now, all I can think about is the present. And you," he said by placing his left hand under his head.
His words had electricity running through my veins, and yet also opened me to that vulnerability of exposure. "What if this fails?"
He faces me seriously and says, "It will, because I am not going to let it fail."
He showed me the self-assurance with which his reply was drenched, and finally, after an eternity, made me hope against hope that it might actually just be all right.
My phone rang suddenly, it was Noel saying that he will be late to come home tonight.
It was past midnight when we eventually went inside. I felt so drained, but at the same time I was very happy as Robert walked me to my room.
"Goodnight," I said softly as I hung out in the doorway of my room.
"Goodnight," he replied. He did not get up.
I waited a little while and then walked up close to him, my arms wound around him for a tight hug. He clutched me just as close, his chin resting on my head.
As I stepped back, he leaned forward and gently kissed my forehead. "Sleep well, Amy."
I nodded, going inside and closing the door behind me. I leaned against it, letting out a shaky breath as my heart continued to pound.
That night, lying in bed, I couldn't help but think of him—his touch, his words, the way he made me feel. It was a night I would never forget.
I want to see him again. I just opened my door and staring at him.
I crossed my arms, an instinctive barrier against the pull I felt toward him. "You're impossible," I murmured, half in frustration and half in surrender.
He smirked, his confidence maddening. "And you love it."
I rolled my eyes, but the heat rising to my cheeks betrayed me.
"You can't hide, Amy," he said, stepping closer. The closeness was like a jolt, and my back went into the kitchen counter as he closed the distance. "Your face says everything."
"Maybe I don't want to be read so easily," I retorted, trying to sound firm despite the shaking of my voice.
His hand reached out, brushing a streak of hair back across my face. The simple touch sent shivers down my spine, and I hated how easily he could unravel me.
"Why do you resist?" he asked, his voice low to a murmur. "You're drawn to me, just as I am to you."
I tried laughing, but it came out weak. "You're awfully sure of yourself.
He leaned in, his lips so close to my ear that I could feel his breath. "I'm sure of us."
The moment was broken by the sound of Noel's car pulling into the driveway. I pushed past Robert, my pulse racing, and busied myself with setting the table. Robert chuckled softly but didn't push further.
Noel looked in and I turned to study something elsewhere when he left without saying anything, though Robert would glance over at me from the time of our quiet dinner until quite late in the evening.
Later that night, after Noel had gone to bed, I sat alone in the living room, trying to calm the storm inside me. The moonlight streaming through the window gave the room an ethereal glow, but my thoughts were far from serene.
"Can't sleep?" Robert's voice broke the silence.
He leaned against the doorway, his shirt a little undone to expose a glimpse of toned chest. Even in that awkward position he was the mystery that had been plaguing my thoughts.
"No," I whispered, burying my face in my hands.
He sat beside me on the couch, and the tension in the air crackled with each of my nerve cells sending sudden jolts around my body due to his nearness.
"Why not?" he asked in a soft tone, yet insistent.
I paused. "You," I said at last.
His brows lifted, surprise, then satisfaction passing over his features. "Me?"
"You're confusing," I told him, feeling my face burn as I studied my hands instead of him. "I have no idea how to react to all this—to us."
His hand closed around mine. "Don't try to make sense of it all, okay? Let it happen," he said gently.
I looked up and found his eyes. Nothing in them was playful this time; only honesty.
The night was getting terribly long. His eyes locked onto mine, and he leaned toward me to reach me. His hand touched my face gently, caressing me softly.
"Do you want me to leave?" he asked softly.
I didn't say a word, but the way I rested my head in his palms said it all.
Taking it as permission, he went in for the kiss until his lips brushed mine. His lips was slow, deliberate, but filled with an intensity that made my head spin.
When he finally breaks apart, he rested his forehead against mine. "Amy…"
The hours blurred by in whispers and soft touches. Next thing I knew, we were back on the rooftop, with stars all silent witnesses above us to the tempest brewing within us.
"Why does this feel so. dangerous?" I breathed.
"Because it is," he replied, his fingers brushing up against mine. "But sometimes, danger is worth it."
When we finally went inside, the weight of the night settled over me. I knew I was stepping into uncharted territory with Robert, and there was no turning back now.
As I lay in bed, the echoes of his words and the memory of his touch lingered, filling me with equal parts fear and exhilaration.
Whatever lay ahead, one thing was certain—my life would never be the same.