Knight

Chapter- Forty Four

Their teasing laughs did make me flush, thinking about how serious this moment would be if we had just few moments. Just few more seconds before I would have made the confession.

“No! we were just watching the sunset.” I peeked a glance at him, resting back on the chair with a smirk that hinted a lot about his thoughts.

“Alright. What colour was the sunset? ” Dylan teased, grinning.

I rolled my eyes, facing the other to hide back my smiles and avoid being the victim of their further teasings.

NEXT MORNING
NATALIE'S POV:

This table is piled with rubbish. Man! This is going to take whole day to clean.

My impulsive thought of cleaning my room soon left my body as soon as the view of my ‘not that dirty’ room came in sight. Maybe mom was right after all.

Putting the pile of books aside, I thought of doing few small tasks first, so just in case if I change my mind about cleaning, I'll have an excuse to convince myself that I did something.

This clearly isn't something I must be doing on a random Thursday when I could be finalizing the draft for my novel.

In no time, I was outside in the balcony with a bucket of water and soap to clean the door panes that probably got my attention about an year ago. It's a bit sunny today unlike those other days when Antarctica itself decides to visit us.

Standing up on the ladder, I held the sponge up on the glass, beginning from the top, gliding the soapy mixture over it. My reflection in the glass smudged a bit as the drops travelled their way down.

I turned around to rinse the sponge again just when my eyes fell on Roz's balcony doors, opening slowly. I expected Uncle Micheal to walk out with his water can to water the flowers like he does every day, but it wasn't him today.

Theo walked out through that dark room in the gleaming sunlight, holding the watering can with his one hand as the other one ran wildly through his messy, wet hairs.

When I say I would have turned around and walked right in at that moment, believe me I would have, but today, what I was actually eyeing at was not something I'd let my shyness make me sacrifice.

Fixing the towel around his waist, that was the only fabric in sight on his body, he raised his head, letting the rays of sunlight reflect off his dewy body. He was absolutely dreamy, looking like that, he was easily anyone's dream at this point.

I stood their mesmerized, shameless, gawking or drooling, to be accurate, at this sight the way I shouldn't, feeling like that eighteen year old self who used to desperately try to talk to him but could barely hold eye contact to start a conversation.

I just know it's alive in me, those feelings, that ‘crush’ that has turned into a complete obsession in me for all these years but yet my heart is scared. I'm such a fucking mess!

“Natalie..? ” that heart stopping voice echoed and I froze with a storm inside me.

Do something Nat, just anything. You can't stand here staring at him like a creep with a sponge and a bucket in your hand. Do something for God's sake!

“Hey ther-” just when I thought I can handle this, I stepped down the ladder, right on the soapy mess I made, sliding off with my face landing straight on the floor.

“Natalie! Are you - Oh God! Are you alright? ” I could faintly hear Theo voice in concern, but the weight of embarrassment and probably ankle dislocation didn't approve any reply or action out of me.