The Co-Star's Epilogue

Chapter 20

About an hour and a few bites later, we had finished out meal and were sitting in the booth with full bellies and smiles.

"So," he murmured, leaning closer to me, his eyes a little nervous. "How about that kiss?" My heart gave a weird thump.

"K-kiss?"

He leaned back. "I mean- you don't have to. I know the last ones were...unplanned. I just, you know-"

I stopped him with an off kilter giggle. What's wrong with you, Melody? "Um- no, sorry! Yes, uh, let's do that. I mean- I'm good with it." He nodded, gulping.

"Okay." Our eyes landed on each other's lips simultaneously, but only for a millisecond before we had both leaned forward, me tilting my head to the right and his to the left. One of his hands rested gently on mine, the other gently cradling my face. I touched his cheek. My heart thumped strangely again as our noses brushed against one another...

Yet the actual kiss, the part where our lips touched? It was only for a second before I jerked back, however, my body feeling cold, and my face hot. An image flashed through my head, but it was too quick to grasp. His hand fell from my face, his eyes bordering on hurt.

"Melody?"

What just happened? Why did you pull away?   I shook my head. "I-I'm sorry. I don't know what happened. I-I," I was blushing so hard, and for some reason I felt like crying. "Um, I'm sorry. Is it okay if we do that later?"

His eyes searched my face, now filled with nothing but concern. He scooted closer to me. Tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. "Hey, what's wrong?" His voice was tender. I shook my head again and held his hand to my face, kissing it, then returned my gaze to his inquiring one.

"I- I don't know."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm- I don't think I'm feeling well. Maybe we should go home?" He stared at me for another minute, cradling my cheek, genuine worry in his stare.

"Okay. If that's what you need," he finally said, the words coming slowly.

I nodded, completely humiliated. "I'm sorry."

He stood up, smiling sort of weakly. "Don't apologize, Melody. I'm sure that it was nothing."

I nodded, standing with him. "Yeah, you're right. I-I don't suppose there's any way that we can move past that?"

The corners around his eyes crinkled as he squinted at me, frowning a little. "Okay." I shyly wrapped my arms around him, hoping to show how sorry I was for it.

"I'm sorry," I whispered again. The tight feeling in my gut loosened as he hugged me back, and I pulled back just enough to smile at him.

"Have I mentioned that you're really good at the whole 'couple' thing?" He said, pulling away and taking my hand as he started to walk towards the door.

"You're pretty good at it yourself."

***

We made halfhearted attempts at conversation on the way back, but I was pretty sure that neither of us were really there at the moment.

"How do you think we're doing on the script?" I asked, looking over at him. The moonlight was shining so that I could only see the curve of his cheek and jaw. He had a handsome profile, I realized, noting how straight yet small his nose was, how his jawline was almost square, but not too masculine, and the ridiculously long eyelashes that were apparent even from the side. Oliver was a mix of boyishness and something more mature, but it worked, so much that I blushed from staring at him and had to look away. Why did you pull away, Melody?