A Twist of Fate (Complete)

Ch. 11 - Rejection

A few minutes later Keaton had finished smoking and he came and sat back down on the blanket again and there was an awkward silence between them. 

"These olives are really good," she said, popping another one in her mouth, trying to break the tension. "I've never had olives that tasted like that before. Hey, isn't it weird that you can't see the stars in New York?" she asked, looking up at the sky. "Back home I used to lay out a blanket on the ground and look up at the stars sometimes but here they're all covered up by air pollution or something."  

Her attempts at conversation didn't work because he sat there in silence looking out at the lake lost in deep thought. He finally looked around blinking, letting out an exhale before saying, "It's getting late. I think we should just go with what you wrote for the assignment."

 "Oh," she said, surprised. "You're wanting to leave already?" 

"Ummm. Yeah," he nodded, standing up. "We should go." 

They hadn't been there very long and she was disappointed to leave so soon, but she didn't want to argue about it. Something was obviously bothering him.

She helped him pack everything back up in the basket and put her laptop back in her bag, before they headed towards the car in silence. They only spoke a few words to each other all the way back to the dorms and she couldn't help but feel like what she said about love really got to him. He had been acting so weird ever since. When they got to her dorm he surprised her by getting out and following her inside.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm walking you to your door. Isn't that what gentlemen do?"

"Since when are you a gentleman?" she laughed, giving him a hard time to lighten the mood.

"Ouch," he said, scrunching his eyebrows. "You've been firing off the insults at me all day," he laughed. "FIrst you called me a jerk and now you say I'm not a gentleman."

She looked over at him and smirked. "Well I figured your ego could stand to be knocked down a few notches. You're a little bit too full of yourself Keaton Ashcroft."

"Oh is that so?" he asked, as they approached her door.

She turned to face him. "Yes. That's so." She shrugged. "But no one can really blame you for having an ego. Guys that look like you usually are full of themselves. It's not your fault. I blame your parents for making you so pretty," she laughed and he just rolled his eyes.

She opened her door and dropped her backpack inside, noticing Monroe was gone. She turned and asked Keaton, "Hey, do you umm, want to come in for a bit?" She was surprised when he didn't hesitate and followed her inside, closing the door behind them. She turned around to face him and he walked closer until he was standing right in front of her, towering over her close enough that she could smell his cologne and she suddenly felt nervous.

She slowly lifted her eyes to look up into his and felt her breath getting caught in her throat so she swallowed hard, feeling her heartbeat getting faster.

He raised a hand and cupped the side of her face, looking into her eyes as he leaned forward slowly until his lips were hovering over hers. 

"Just so you know, I'm anything but fucking pretty," he whispered in his smooth deep voice that sent a shiver across her skin, before he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. She closed her eyes and felt butterflies erupting in her stomach as their mouths connected, and he pulled in at her waist bringing her body against his and her hands came to rest against his firm chest. 

He turned his head to the side and she parted her lips, letting his tongue enter and he kissed her so deeply, with so much passion that her entire body felt like it was on fire and she almost let out a moan. She held onto him to keep her balance, because his kiss made her feel dizzy and weak in the knees. She had never been kissed like that in her life. She finally pulled back and looked into his eyes, studying them for a second and swallowing hard, trying to catch her breath.