Let's Just Fall In Love Again (ch. 10)

Chapter 10: I’m Still Here

His hand gripped her shoulder and tugged hard causing her to fall backwards beside him while he was saying, “She will be right here beside me now with no buts.”

She was nestled in the arms of Daniel. Her heart was beating faster and the romantic night wasn’t really helping her. She didn’t say a single word. She couldn’t say a single word. Everyone could say she was surprised.

Daniel was breathing heavily. The feeling of her in his arms was nothing compared to what he expected. He hoped she couldn’t hear his heart beating. It was making him crazy. She was making him crazy. The way her head was resting in his shoulder, the way her hair tickle the side of his face, the way her body curved to fit his. It was like fitting in missing part of him. He already knew this but it couldn’t stop him for being happy with the realization.

The silence engulfed them. For Emma, it was the kind of silence that she wanted to escape from. For Daniel, it the kind of silence that he found comforting (with the awareness that Emma was in his arms). He couldn’t get over it.

Deciding to break the ice, Daniel asked, “What are you thinking?”

Emma was caught off guard of his voice and stammered, “N-no-nothing. I – wasn’t thinking about anything.”

“You sure?”

“Mhm-hmm.” Emma replied with a small nod of her head. Emma could only hope that Daniel couldn’t hear her heart beating fast. She was aware of how muscular his shoulders beneath her head, of how hard his chest below her left hand. She was very aware of how her body fit his perfectly. She emitted a sigh.

Oh how long she yearned to be in his arms like this. Now that it happened, she couldn’t help herself from hoping it would last. She wished that the time would stop so she could stay like this forever.  All she could think about was how good it felt to in his arms.

It wasn’t long when she felt vibrations from Daniel’s chest that she realized that he was asking her a question.

“Sorry, what was that again?”

“I was asking you about what happened yesterday.

He didn’t need to elaborate so she could understand his meaning. She understood it perfectly. Although she wanted nothing more than to tell him, she didn’t want to ruin their friendship. It’s a secret that he doesn’t need to know.

“It’s a girl thing, you wouldn’t understand.”

“Try me. “ He was being persistent. Emma inwardly groaned. How could she escape this?!

Daniel was now really curious as to what happened to Emma and Sabrina while he was away in America. He already asked his mates about but his friends just shrugged in return. He was frustrated after he asked the girls about it, they didn’t give him the answer. They just gave him the same answer the boys had given him. He then stared pleadingly to Vanessa and Nicole – for besides him, the two were Emma’s best friends – Nicole just smiled apologetically while Vanessa  laid her hand at his shoulders and said, “It’s best to ask her personally.”

Now that she was relaxing with him there, he was determined to know what happened. He’d do anything to find out. Even if the only way to get answers is to strangle her, he would do it. But of course, he wouldn’t do that. He was that desperate that he even couldn’t understand himself.

“It’s really not that important.”

“Quit stalling Emma. Just tell me the truth.” Daniel was starting to get frustrated. He didn’t understand why Emma’s not telling the truth.

“Please…..”  He begged when she didn’t say a thing.  She sat up and hugged her knees. Daniel sighed and decided to drop the subject.

“Okay, I’ll drop it. But I warn you, I will ask that question again. Not now, I’ll wait until you’re ready to share the secret.” Daniel sat up too. “You know, we used to share secrets about everything.” He added as an afterthought. She didn’t say a thing as guilt racked her body.

“Hey,” She felt a finger under her chin, urging her to look at him and she did. “Even if we won’t secrets anymore, please know that you can still talk to me. I’m still your bestfriend. I’m still here.” She didn’t know how but the words comforted her. She sighed and laid her head on his shoulders.

“I know.” That was all she could say to him.

That was the last thing she said that night as the rush of waves reminded her of how tired she was and lulled her sleep.

The evenness of her breathing told Daniel that she was sleeping and took that chance to study her. She changed quite a lot, he realized, with curves on the right places. He always thought she was beautiful and now she was even more beautiful. There was hint of maturity in her, the way she walks around with an aura of confidence but he knew that there is still that bit of shyness in her and she still lights the room whenever she walks in it. She is still the same girl he knew and loved.

While he was in his own thoughts, he absent-mindedly stroked her hair. Emma, even in her sleep, felt the soft caress and snuggled more in his arms and produced a soft ‘mmm’ in appreciation. Harry smiled and tightened his hold on her and when he couldn’t help, kissed the top of her head softly.

I love you… That was the last thought as he soon too fell asleep.

******

After the dinner, Nicole stayed behind to help clean the dishes. She watched Matt walk out with Rico and sighed. Vanessa noticed and patted her shoulders affectionately and whispered with a smile, “Don’t worry, you’re not the only one feeling that way.”

Nicole laughed and playfully shoved Vanessa out of the kitchen saying that she’d catch up with them later. After putting the clean dishes to the proper places, she walked to the nearest window and watched how the moon shined brightly above the calm sea water. She was walking away when she notice a small figure walk into sight.

The wind was whipping his light brown hair and she realized it was Matt. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest as she debated with herself if she should join him or not. She wanted badly to be with him so she took her jacket and went out of the house and headed directly to where Matt was. When she finally reached him, he was already sitting in the sand and watched the moonlight while playing with the sand.

He didn’t notice her yet so she decided to scare him, bending down to his level, she put her mouth beside his ear and whispered, “Boo!”

Matt, who expected nothing of the sort, jumped up and whirled to face Nicole with a terrified expression on his face. Nicole, unable to control the laughter bubbling inside her, burst into giggles at seeing his expression.

“BLOODY HELL NICOLE! That was uncalled for!” Clutching her stomach, she raised her face to Matt’s face and laughed even more when she saw the angry expression at his face. She continued to laugh not noticing the change of his expression from angry to smiling.

Her laughter was like a music in his ears and he couldn’t help but smile. Soon, he was laughing at the hilarity of the situation and started laughing with her. After their laughter died, they stood there standing in front of each other with a smile on their faces. Neither on said a thing, afraid to break the silence and kill the moment.

A few seconds later, Nicole broke the moment by breaking their eye contact by sitting in the sand beside him.

“So, how did you end up here?” she asked. He scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment and sat down beside her, putting a distance so as to not embarrass himself further more by touching her or kissing her.

I wonder how her lips feel. Would she taste as sweet as her personality? Suddenly feeling a little warm, he shook the thought a way and focused on the scenery in front of him.

“Rico went to sleep. I can’t sleep so instead of bothering him by tossing and turning and a lot of groaning from me, I decided to go out here.”

There was a silence again but it was not uncomfortable. Suddenly Nicole perked up with a thought and turned to him, smiling.

“Do you want a hot chocolate?”

Seeing her smile froze him, until he realized that she asked him a question. “What was that?”

Her smile was still there when she asked patiently again if he wanted a hot chocolate.

“Why?”

“When I was still little, my mum would make me cup of hot chocolate when I wake up from a nightmare and couldn’t sleep back again. It always makes me calm and I’d fall asleep again.” Seeing hesitance on his Matt’s face, she smile and added, “Trust me, It helps.” With that, she stood up and held out a hand to help.

Not wanting to waste a time with Nicole, he put his hand on her hand and stood up, aware of the feel of her hand on his, they made their way back to the house. Matt, in his happy state from holding her hand, didn’t realize that he didn’t let go of her hand but she sure did notice. She watched where their hands connected and a blush crept up her face. She finally smiled and decided to make the best the best of it.

Nicole quickly started making two cups of hot chocolate, telling Matt to sit down when he offered to help.

“We wouldn’t want your hot chocolate taste like crap, would we?” She smiled at him teasingly.

Matt put his hand to his chest and gasped, pretending to be hurt, “You wound me lady, I’ll let you know that I’m perfectly capable of making my own hot chocolate.” But the twitch at the corners of his mouth betrayed him. “But if you insist, I’ll try not to disturb you while you do your thing.” He arrogantly waved his hand at her dismissively and sat down on a chair, putting his hands behind his head and perched both of his feet on top of the table, crossing it at the ankles, completing his act.

 Nicole just laughed and shook her head at him as she continued her task in making them both hot chocolates. Matt snatched a glance at her at the corners of his eyes. He loved teasing her. Always making sure to take it easy because she was more sensitive that the other girls when it comes to teasing. But he always wondered about her reactions to his teasing. She doesn’t react violently like punching him in the arm or smacking him in the head like she always did with Rico, she only laughed or sometimes, to his delight, blushed.

Does she like me? Matt wondered and smiled at the thought. Oh the joy that will be there when that was indeed true. He’d long admitted it to himself that he liked Nicole more than a friend and long wished that she liked him too. As she smiled at him and sat down across him while handing him his cup, he decided.