If Only

Chapter Five: That's a First

"I mean, I've had my eyes on this house for a very long time now. Your grandfather always had something interesting coming in, like ornaments, ginormous vases, paintings, and more. I've always been drawn to art and these things caught my attention. It's hard not to notice all the movers coming in and out of this place throughout the year. My intentions weren't as bad as you might have thought. And about what I said earlier about nothing in here being interesting, I didn't mean it. I just wanted to annoy you. I knew your grandfather had passed away, it was in the news. Although I didn't know him personally, I could tell from the things he brought in that he had an incredible taste for things. I spray painted outside kind of as an homage to him, to honor him."

As I listened to his words, I felt a shift in my perception of him. He wasn't just some random guy who vandalized my grandfather's property for fun. He had been drawn to the art and the interesting things my grandfather had collected over the years. The fact that he had taken the time to appreciate those items and even spray painted the outside of the house in honor of my grandfather made me see him in a new light.

It was like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders, knowing that someone outside of our family cared about my grandfather's legacy. I had been feeling so isolated and disconnected from the world outside these walls, and now I realized that there was more to life than just being called "crazy rich".

As the darkness enveloped us once again, I felt a sense of guilt wash over me. I had yelled at him that day, not knowing the full story. I felt like a jerk for judging him without knowing the full picture. Maybe it was time to apologize and make amends.

"You could've just told mem I would've understood, and maybe I wouldn't have yelled at you like a lunatic. Maybe I should apologize after all," I said, my voice laced with guilt.

"Wow, the self-recognition," he replied with a chuckle. "But don't be sorry. I know, I could've told you. But I guess I liked the challenge."

I couldn't help but smile at his response. Despite everything, he still managed to maintain his quirkiness. Maybe there was hope for us to become friends after all.

His chuckle caused something to shift from within me. I could feel something tingling from within my stomach and I squirmed from the unfamiliar sensation. Considering that this was the first time I had been in such close proximity with a boy, or a man, I felt both excited and nervous at the same time. I couldn't deny the fact that there was something building between us that was hard to ignore.

However, a small part of me couldn't help but remember the warnings I had received about being alone with boys. I knew I shouldn't let my guard down too easily, especially with someone like Jared, who had a reputation for being a troublemaker. But at the same time, I couldn't deny the fact that I was drawn to him, despite his flaws.

As I thought about the possibility of something happening between us, my cheeks flushed with heat and I squirmed on my spot, feeling both embarrassed and excited at the same time. Why am I thinking about it? And mind you, he was so far from being ugly.

The silence was becoming more and more awkward by the second. I felt like I was internally panicking, wondering if I was the only one thinking about it. But then I remembered how he had mentioned that I had never been kissed before, and the heat rushed to my cheeks again. If I could see myself right now, I knew I would be blushing like crazy. I could be hyperventilating for all I knew.

"Hey," his voice cut through the tension like a sharp knife through butter, causing me to jolt in surprise.

"Umm, huh?" my brain disconnected from my mouth.

"You've been awfully quiet."

I swallowed hard, feeling the tension build once again. But this time, there was a different kind of energy between us. The air was thick with anticipation, and I could feel my body yearning for him.