He walked into my heart like he always belonged there,
took down my walls and lit my soul on fire.
~T.M.
"Can I talk to you for a second?" Chris stops me before I can enter the dining room. It's probably the only time he'll be able to catch me. These days I have been avoiding him like the plague. I feel guilt and shame whenever I see his face. I'm aware that it wasn't my fault, and it couldn't be helped, but when he confronted me about it, I was quick to shut him down and label him as a psycho. That was entirely my fault. "Can't it wait? Everybody must be waiting for us to start eating." "It won't take long. All I ever I wanted to ask you is if you were available tonight. I would like for to dine together and get to know each other better away from our families." What if he asks me about Chase? What am I going to say then?
"Don't even think about denying his invitation! You are going out with him and you're going to have a blast!" Astra doesn't understand. For her, everything is a piece of cake. I'm the one who has to deal with everything. "I can't, Astra. Everytime I see his face I embarrassment!" "And? You got a chance to have a mate, your actual mate, and you're going to throw it away because of something that was out of your control. I don't know about you, but I want to have what we read in books and see movies. I want to experience love, pure love. And I'd be damned if I let you ruin it for me!" As harsh as she sounded, she was right. I tend to be selfish, thinking that I'm all alone, but I'm not. There's both of us, me and Astra, and she has a right to take part in my decisions. "I'll come." A big smile makes its way to his face. At the sight of his smile, I feel giddy inside. Even Astra has returned to her bubbly self. "Great! I'll meet you at the entrance at seven o'clock."
"You look gorgeous!" I feel my cheeks redden, and I try to cover my red cheeks with my hair. During the car ride, he constantly steals glances at me. It's nice to feel wanted for once. With Chase, I never felt pretty. In my mind, everything was a competition between me and his past flings. I felt that I had to be prettier than them, and I was always displeased with my looks. Looking back, now I know that that was toxic behavior.
We exit the car, and Chris clasps our hands together, interlacing our fingers, and leading us inside the restaurant. Despite us not being a couple, it feels wrong to pull away. We pass all the waiters as they nod in respect at the sight of him. Weird, though. This is not a werewolf city. It's a human one. "Why isn't someone guiding us to our table? Why are they showing you so much respect?" I voice out all at once. "Slow down with the questions, speedy." He laughs, but it's not so funny for me. I'm so sick of being in the dark all my life. My parents, my mate ... I'm set for life. "Although we're in a human city, this is the only all-wolf restaurant. Everyone who works here is a werewolf, or is aware of our existence." "Even the owner?" He sends me a cryptic smile, sending my mind into a frenzy. "I'm the owner, so you can make your assumptions."
Wow! "Do you like it?" It's so pretty! Even my welcoming ball wasn't so pretty. It's even more meaningful knowing that he made the effort for me. "I love it! Thank you!" Placing his hand on my back, he guides us to our seats. "My lady." I find it so gentlemanly when a guy pulls out a chair for a girl. It took me so long to figure out that Chase wasn't a man but a bad imitation of a man. I don't want to jump to conclusions, but Chris is nothing like Chase.
"What's your favorite color?" He asks out of the blue as we're eating. "Red, the color of passion," I answer after swallowing. "And what about food?" "Are we playing the twenty-question game?" I've never had someone ask these questions. "I want to know everything about you. Even the tiniest detail, no matter how meaningless it may be. That's what you do when you carry feelings for someone." I feel like bawling my eyes out. I'm such a crybaby! Due to the mate bond, I already have feelings for him, but it's not hard for them to grow. "I love everything, although I'm not very fond of asparagus. If I had to choose one it would be pasta. What about you?" He looks taken aback as if he wasn't expecting my question. "You're asking me?" "Of course you! Do you see anyone else?" "But why?" I take a bite from my food to make the anticipation rise. I always find it funny to do that, but I don't appreciate it when it's done to me. Hypocritical, but that's me. "You said that's what you do when you have feelings for someone." It takes time for him to realize what I'm saying, but when it settles, a big smile breaks out.
"Thank you for tonight. It was amazing!" I exclaim as we finish our food "We're not done yet. We have to make a pit stop." I'm excited to see what he has planned out. If it's anything like before, I bet it will be gorgeous. "Watch your step, these stairs are slippery." He says as he helps me up the stairs.
The view from above is spectacular! All the blinking lights, the skyscrapers that now seem small, everything! "Here you go." I snap out of my trace and see him offering me a spoon. "What's a better way to enjoy the view than with some ice cream?" We take turns taking a spoonful of ice cream and enjoying the city view at night. Although we're in absolute silence, it's a comforting one. Sometimes no words need to be spoken to enjoy someone's presence. His presence is unlike any other. Whenever I'm with him, I can't help but feel comfortable and safe. I feel loved and appreciated like any woman should feel.
"Thank you for today. It was refreshing." I say as we walk the stairs to the palace. "I'm glad you enjoyed our night. That means there will be a repeat?" I would be crazy if there wasn't a repeat. "Of course." I quickly kiss his cheek and run inside, leaving him in a state of shock. I was in a dilemma about whether I should do it. In the end, I decided to do it and then run away. That way I wouldn't feel embarrassed. Running to my room, I shut the door and run to my bed. As I stare at the ceiling that reminds me of the starry sky, I can't help but recall the date. It brings me happiness and anticipation to have more nights just like this.
Chapter thirty is up! A lighter chapter with the first date of Chris and Sophia. I hope you enjoyed it!
Thank you so much for reading!
I hope you're all staying safe! I'll see you again in the next update. Bye!!