Chapter Twenty-Five

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"You steady me and stir me all at once."

- butterflies rising


Oli's POV

Something is seriously wrong with me.

Never in the eighteen years that I've known Luna have I ever looked at her as more than a friend. As more than a kid, really.

But it's been thirteen years. Thirteen. Years. That was the last time I was ever really a stable presence in her life. Over those long thirteen years, I saw her, of course, but I never got to spend more than a week with her before I went away again.

She's twenty six. She's a woman. Not a girl or a kid. A fully grown woman. And it is only now that I'm truly realising how fúcking gorgeous she is.

I always knew she was pretty. Of course I did. She was an adorable kid and when she grew up, she grew up beautiful. I saw that and never felt anything more than platonic love for her. She's younger than me. She was just a kid.

Now, for the first time, I'm really seeing her. I'm seeing her as the gorgeous independent woman that she has grown up to be. I feel like I missed all the parts that lead her to the person she is today. Sure, I saw her occasionally. It was always a shock to see how much she'd changed in the time I'd been gone. And I noticed her maturing as she got smarter and wittier and more intelligent. But this is different. Because I'm not leaving this time.

I'm ashamed to say I've been staring at her all night. Luna has dominated much of the conversation, just as she always used to. I sit back and watch like I always have too. That's how we work and I love that about us. She understands my need to be quiet and observe and I understand her need to ramble and be reassured.

But I'm not just observing everything tonight. My eyes have been stuck on her. I'm noticing things I've never noticed before. The way her tongue darts out to wet her bottom lip before she speaks. Her wide eyes framed by dark lashes crinkling in the corners when she laughs. The way her throat bobs subtly when she sips her drink. Her long hair that brushes against my forearm when she leans over the table in a heated discussion.

These are not friendly thoughts. And I need to get them out of my head immediately.

That's not the most worrying thing though. Because physical attraction is something that can't be helped. They are thoughts I can push to the side and train myself to forget about.

What I can't forget is the tingles that shoot through my veins when her fingertips accidentally brush against my arm. Or the way my heart beats out of my chest when her eyes find mine as she laughs. Or how my stomach drops in the most delightful way when she says my name.

"Oli." There it is again. That little flip my stomach has been doing all night. My eyes were already on her, but I'm drawn back to reality when she looks up at me, leaning slightly closer.

I lean down a little to speak quietly just to her, "Yes, Little One?"

She smiles and my heart rate quickens. I worry that I might go into cardiac arrest if she keeps this up. But I also never want this feeling to go away. Because at the same time as she makes my heart race and my face flush, she also brings me an overwhelming sense of calm that I've become addicted to.

"Do you think we could get another side of nachos?" She asks hopefully, resting a hand on my forearm. "They were so good."

I quickly nod, swallowing roughly, "Of course. You want anything else, Little One?"

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