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CHAPTER NINE: LATE NIGHT CONVERSATIONS WITH THE MOON.
6TH MARCH 2022 - 10:05 PM
Aaliyah and I are lying on the blanket. We're both on our backs, watching the countless small small stars scattered across the clear blue and purple sky. The moon rises slowly from the east. I smile. Even with its imperfection, the moon still tries to shine with a smile. I felt a slight breeze kissing my skin; I heard the endless sounds of crickets chirping so close but so far away from me, and in the distance, I could almost catch the unknown song the birds were singing.
I'm acutely aware of how close Aaliyah is next to me, her body warmth seeping into me. I suddenly remembered our kiss from earlier on; I can still feel the ghost of her lips lingering on mine. I blush. But then I realise she can't see it in the darkness. For once, I'm grateful for the darkness that surrounds me.
Time moved way too fast after we shared that kiss, a complete opposite from this morning onwards – from our lake endeavours to slow dancing in an empty house. It felt weirdly slow. I don't like that. I wish we could've dragged the moment our lips met, forever.
At the thought of that, I turn my head to look at her. Aaliyah looked at peace, busy stargazing. Under the moonlight, she was glowing, her eyes twinkling. Ha. The sun seemed jealous of her natural beauty and how she shined brighter than anything else. And yet the moon is putting its own show for Aaliyah; the spotlight solely for her only.
Then she turns her body to me, a smile etched onto her face. My heart skips a beat, my breathing stops, and my mind goes blank. Our eyes interlocked. I felt like we were saying so much in silence than actual words can ever say. There was that intimate feeling again.
"What are you thinking about?" She whispers.
"You. I'm thinking about you. I'm thinking about hugging you, kissing you, holding you in my arms, feeling your breath inside me. I'm thinking about every detail of your skin, your flaws, your quirks. I'm thinking about every part of you, and I want to embrace all of that with you."
I wanted to say all that to her. But I bit my tongue. Am I going too fast with all of this? I furrow my brows. No. I feel like I'm not even doing enough for her.
I've forgotten to answer, and she's still staring at me. Her eyes made me think of galaxies that I have never actually seen before, only dreamt about.
"Why did you take me here?" I asked. I don't know when I realised – maybe it was when we crashed the car? Maybe it was when I was drowning, and flashes of memories came to me? Or maybe when we shared our first kiss in front of the tree? – but I had a sneaky suspicion that this was all part of Aaliyah's plan. I don't know why.
Aaliyah didn't look startled by the sudden question. Nor was she hurt. Or offended. Or ... anything. She was still smiling, her expression neutral. "I don't know. I think it was the second I saw you freaking out back in your room. I just had this sudden urge to bring you here." She bit her bottom lip. "Turns out it wasn't just because you were freaking out. I just wanted to bring you here."
"Why?" I ask. Why would she bring me here?
"Because the universe conspired to help me make you move on." She lets out a quiet chuckle. "And to finally get you out of your room."
I furrow my brows. Move on from what? "Why?"
There was a sadness in her eyes, her smile never fading. "I don't know."
"Was it what you expected?"
"I don't know," she whispers. "I'm not sure what I expected. This was my safe place. A place where I could run and hide and not worry about anything. This is the one place where I can be me and not be judged. So ... I never expected that in the middle of my chaos, there was you. I never expected you to feel like home. Isn't that amazing?" My insides melted at the sight of her smile. It was like magic; every time she smiles, I forget my breath. She was beautiful.
A loose hair strand rests on her face. My fingers reach out to tuck it behind her ears. Aaliyah was watching my every movement. I left my hand on her cold cheeks, and she leaned into my touch. "What are you thinking about?"
She closes her eyes. The sound of my heart beats hard in my ears. "I don't know." She doesn't say anything after that. I felt that if I continued to ask her any more questions, she would continue giving me the same short answers.
I sigh. I tried to take my hand away from Aaliyah's face, but she was fast to keep it there with her hand. She opens her eyes and my soul catches fire. Her red lips are set in a firm line. "Doesn't this remind you of when we used to count those stupid plastic stars in my room? Just when it was just the two of us?"
I gulped. I felt a cold chill go down my spine. Aaliyah's cold hands began to make me slightly uncomfortable. I don't have the heart to tell her to let go. I'm not sure if I want her to let me go. "Of course, I do."
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