Meanwhile, as the others waited in the wings to confront their friend, Kevin and Nathalie prepared dinner for two. “Open up,” he told her as he held a wooden spoon full of chili. “It smells magnificent!” she exclaimed as she readied herself to taste it.
“Mmm…and it tastes even better, Kevin…” he smiled down at her and chuckled a little, “You’re welcome; I take it that you haven’t had chili before?” “It’s not that; it’s just that I’ve never had chili THIS good…” “It’s better homemade than fresh from a can,” he told me and I couldn’t help but believe him.
Truthfully, he’s everything a woman could want: he has a sense of humor, he’s kind, affectionate, handsome, and a great cook. I’m trying hard to not to fall for this man, but as every second passes, it gets harder and harder to do.
And plus, now that I know he feels the same way that I do (I guess, I’m not really sure if he just wants to lay with me, and nothing more), I’m not ready to open up.
After my awful breakup with Marsh, things got really complicated: I built up a wall, a strong reinforcement that I don’t want anyone to break into…
Just yet.
We both sat down with a bowl of chili, salad and oyster crackers. As I take my first bite, I close my eyes and savor each spicy morsel. “This is just fantastic, Kevin…you said your mom made this?”
He places a linen handkerchief upon his lap and turned to me, “Yes, it’s just the best; I can’t eat that dish any other way but by her hands.” “But you’re eating it, and she’s not here…”
I tell him smugly. “It’s her recipe, Nat…guess I should have put it in better wording,” he tells me and starts to eat.
Again, I look over at him and smile. He caught me staring and flashes me his simple, warm smile as a reply. God, I loved that smile of his; so honest and truthful, and calmness written upon each lip. “You are a wonderful cook, Kevin…” “Thank you again, Nathalie…” I nod and shift my eyes back to my half empty bowl.
“You know what would set this food off right?” he says to me. “Now, what would that be?” he gets up and walks over to the liquor cabinet. “Vodka?” he shakes his head and sticks his tongue out. “That stuff is TOXIC…I meant this Dom Perignon just sitting there all by its lonesome.” “You drink?”
He walked back over to the table and leaned forward to me and said, “I only drink when I’m stressed out.” I smile at the quote from last week, and reply, “Are you stressed out now?” “Not anymore…”
He flashed another smile and stood upright. As he walked off to the cabinet, I say to myself: “You are something else…”
There we were, out on the balcony drinking cool glasses of aged champagne. “This is delicious; the best damn champagne I’ve ever drank,” I tell him, and he nods in affirmation. He looked up at the moonlit sky, and out to the distant universe; he sat the glass down and was lost within the sight of the lustrous moon.
“Is…is there something on your mind, Kev?” “Just…looking at the moon…how we can count on its angelic light during a dark night like this to lead us to the paths we choose…to lead us back to our true home…”
I sat my glass down as well and walk over to him. “Something is on your mind. Tell me, please…” I reach over and grab his hands. He turns to me and at once his eyes immaculately glisten in the moonlight.
I was star-struck, and I couldn’t say a word; all I could do was submit myself into his green-golden orbs.
“Kevin…” I inadvertently utter into the air. He clasps my hands into his tightly and pulls me closer. “Nathalie, there’s something I have to tell you…”
“I love you.”
Kevin blinked a few times before beginning to register what she just said. “…wha…what did you just say?” She took another deep breath and looks him into his eyes again.
“I said, I love you, Kevin…I tried so damn hard to hide my feelings for you…and as much as I’ve tried, I can’t. You’re…you’re everything that I could ever ask for…I can tell you about anything, and even though you hardly know me and that you try to relate to my problems, you understand me completely.”
She breaks her hands away from his and touches Kevin’s face softly; for that split second, his heart melted for her even more, but as he aforementioned, he couldn’t keep the charade going on forever.
Each time he spoke to her, another lie emits from between his lips: how he claims that he lost his memory, and that he was slowly gaining his memory back thanks to her positive energy.
He lashed at himself, hating himself that he kept on lying to her; and now she’s professing her love for him.
And he felt more and more like a creep with each loving word she professes.
“…remember when you said you’d have to get my permission to kiss me?” I looked down at the ground and back into her tear-filled eyes and smile. “Yes.”
“Well…permission granted.” I sigh inwardly again and bite my lower lip, leaning into her light mocha tinged face to kiss her, but she placed her hands on my chest stopping me. “Was there something you were going to tell me?” I said this to her delicately:
“It’s not important.”
My hands sought her waist and I began to envelop her into an embrace. But as I was about to, she pulled my face down and nipped my bottom lip before lightly clashing her smooth lips upon mine.
I was lost, swimming in an abyss of insecure blue as she kissed me; I felt...overpowered. I held her close to me and cradled her to and fro; I sung softly to her as she snuggled her head against my chest…
“It’s true; I mean it from the bottom of my heart
Oh, it’s true; without you, I would fall apart…”
But the true question that lies ahead is this: will she still love me after I tell her the truth?
Author's Chapter Notes:
There is 10 chapters so far, on account that I forgot to space out a few parts.
