Be Rude but Love Me | ✔

CHAPTER 35

The picture. That picture.

"What picture?" I feign with a frown.

He digs his hands in his pockets and takes three steps toward me. "Your flash was right on my face, Graham."

And his eyes pierce through mine, daring me to lie. If he saw the flash, there's no point in denying there wasn't a flash. But I can pretend I wasn't taking a picture. "It doesn't prove I was taking a picture. I could have been –"

"Looking for something on my face?" There's amusement in his voice and I am relieved that he isn't getting mad. "I'm not dumb. I heard it when it snapped."

"Why would I show it to you?"

"Because I'm telling you to."

My laugh is quiet but the absence of humor in it is still very perceivable. "And I'm supposed to obey?" He doesn't answer me and I know it means yes. "You're unbelievable!" I exclaim in incredulity.

He comes to stand right before me now, and bends his head a little so that our eyes are at the same level. Then he whispers, "Snapping a picture of me while I'm sleeping is very indiscreet of you."

It is, indeed. I don't think I would appreciate it if someone were to take a picture of my sleeping face. I would be raging with fury, which is why I am surprised to see Yann taking it so calmly – at least for now.

He's looking right into my eyes and I can't seem to look away. Involuntarily, I take a step forward and now, our faces are mere inches apart, our lips a hair's width away. He doesn't stop looking into my eyes as I make my bold move. Our noses touch and our lips brush. His hands leave his pocket to snake around my waist but we still don't kiss. I close my eyes as I see him dip his head, anticipating his kiss.

"Password."

My eyes shoot open and I pull back a little, confused. He shoves my phone into my face before I can process what's just happened. I then realize that his arms snaking around my waist weren't to pull me closer, it was just to have access to my pockets and retrieve my phone. He wants to see the picture.

I snatch the phone out of his hands and dip my head, my hair falling like a veil to hide my disappointment. I am about to start typing my password when I feel him pushing my hair out of my face.

"I hate it when you do that," he says as he lifts my chin with his hand, "hide behind your hair."

I jerk my chin away from his hand and go back to my typing. "I wasn't hiding behind my hair," I lie.

"What's 0516?" Yann asks as I hand him the phone.

Caught off guard, I look at him, wondering how he could have seen it as he's standing in front of me. "You saw it?" He nods at me. "It's my birthday. May 16," I tell him and he nods to me again, engrossed in the phone. "I need to change my password now."

His head snaps up, pausing his task on my phone. "Why? I'm not gonna use your phone." And he dives back into my private life.

When I notice he's stopped sliding his fingers across the screen, I come to his side, and with him, I look at the picture.

I had never taken my time to check whether it was good or not. In my haste to put the phone away, I had forgotten to look. And I am glad I had. Postponing to do something wonderful makes it all the more wonderful.

There, Yann has been immortalized in his sleep. His jet black strands are spread out on my shoulder in a veil and his head is tipped to the side, his left cheek covered with a few strands. His pink lips are closed, in a relaxed line opposite to the severe line I am accustomed to. His eyelids stay half-way open and half-way closed, revealing a little of his blue irises under the brightness of the light. The calm expression on his face makes me smile and I wish I was able to see that expression when he's awake.