“This doesn’t seem very sanitary.” I toyed with my peace necklace that dangled from my neck, twisting the metal chain absentmindedly around my thumb.
Niall’s smile alone was enough to clear my mind, even for a few moments. “But Bee, it’s a standard tourist thing. It’s practically mandatory.”
“I don’t want to kiss a rock.”
Niall’s eyes sparkled teasingly. “It’s a stone, not a rock.”
“I could probably think of a million things that I would rather kiss than a stupid stone.” I mumbled as we trailed behind a large group of tourists towards Blarney Castle. According to Niall, we were only about a third of the way through our adventure across Ireland. We’d travelled from Bray to Cork over the past two weeks without much of a plan, stopping in whatever towns we wanted to. From Cork we were going to head north and luckily spend a week in Donegal in company of Niall’s grandparents. After Donegal we would go back to Mullingar, and if it was timed like we’d planned, I’d be on a plane back to America the following day. That thought alone kind of made me sick to think about, so I tended to avoid the subject as much as possible. I couldn’t deny it; at this point, a life without Niall didn’t seem like much of a life at all.
I could see an idea forming in Niall’s crystal clear eyes. “Let’s play a ‘would you rather’ game. It’ll pass the time until we get to kiss the stone.”
“Alright,” I grumbled, still finding it hard to be enthused about the whole rock thing. Niall and I spent a lot of our time playing little games similar to this one, and in conclusion learning new things about each other that we wouldn’t have otherwise known.
“But it has to be what would you rather kiss, okay?”
I nodded and Niall tapped his chin and scrunched his forehead in an adorable form of thought. I reached out poked the crease forming on the top of his head, and he laughed and pushed my hand away. We’d spend enough time together that now casual touching usually didn’t mean much. I, however, still often found myself looking for excuses to feel his skin brush against mine.
“What would you rather kiss? The Blarney Stone or a frog?” Niall took the hand that hung limply at my side and tucked his fingers through my own.
I thought for a moment. “Would the frog turn into a prince?”
“Nope.” He grinned.
“I’m still going with the frog.”
“Why?” Niall shuddered, his free hand tapping a beat onto his thigh. “Frogs are slimy.”
“They are not.” I bumped him with my hip. “You’re stereotyping.”
“My bad.” Niall let out a laugh that was so contagious it filled me fully with joy. Everything about him was truly incredible. “Sorry froggies.”
“Who would you rather kiss? Katy Perry or Megan Fox?”
“Katy, no doubt.” There was no hesitation in Niall’s answer. “Would you rather kiss that kid from our first day in Dublin who hit on you outside the pub or Barack Obama?”
I laughed. “I don’t know. Neither of them.”
“I’m afraid that answer is unacceptable.” Niall shook his head, his hair falling to cover his eyebrows. “You have to pick one. It’s in the rules.”
“What rules?” I asked sceptically.
“The rules in my head. Now, answer.”
“Fine, the kid from the pub. He was kind of cute.”
“No, he wasn’t.” Niall stated, very matter-of-factly. “I would say that guy fell more into the ‘hot’ category. And he was the wrong answer.”
“But, it was an opinion question,” I objected, confused. “How could I be wrong?”
“In my opinion, you’re wrong.” Behind Niall’s cheeky teasing, I could sense something else. There was question in his eyes, something he needed to say, maybe. I wasn’t completely sure what it was, but I could see that even as he flirted and joked with me, his attention was never fully there.
“Are you okay, Niall? You seem distracted.”
He shot me a bright smile. “I’m great, Brookie.”
I accepted his answer, knowing full well that when he wanted to explain, he would. “Alright, would you rather kiss a dirty shoe or a dinosaur?”
“Will the dinosaur eat me if I’m a bad kisser?” Niall still didn’t seem fully present, as if his thoughts were slowly carrying him someplace else. His grip on my hand had gradually began to loosen as we approached the stone.
“Nah, it’s a herbivore.” I chuckled.
“Right,” Niall nodded. “Then, I’ll go with the dinosaur.”
“Right this way, madam.” The man working the edge of the battlement waved me over, almost in a bored tone. “All you have to do is grab these poles here, and bend over backwards to kiss this stone. I assure you that it’s completely safe and it’ll only take a second. I’m here to make sure nothing goes wrong.” The man could easily see the hesitation that was displayed on my face, so he hurriedly attempted to reassure me. “Dear, if you’re having second thoughts then why don’t you wait off to the side and let some other people go?”
“No, it’s fine.” I gulped down all of my fear as I looked over the edge of the castle. “I’ll do it.” I tried to sound brave, but failed miserably. I stepped forward but paused when Niall’s hand tightened around mine.
“Wait, Brooke, I have one last would you rather.”
I turned around, cocking my head to the side. I wondered why it was so important for Niall to ask me before I kissed the stone. “We can keep playing when we get down. You don’t have to ask me now.”
His eyes fleeted to the floor so I paused patiently until he met my gaze again. When his bright eyes finally flickered to mine once again I noticed a slight flush of red in his rosy cheeks. I couldn’t stop myself from thinking how he was literally the most attractive boy I’d ever seen. I knew other girls saw him similarly to how I did—I could tell by the constant stares and winks he received. How could Chloe have been stupid enough to break up with him?
Unexpectedly, I felt a spark of jealousy towards my cousin; an emotion I’d never once had for her. Yes, Niall hated Chloe now, but once upon a time not so long ago she got to hold him and kiss him every day. I treasured each moment I got to spend with him, knowing that soon it would come to an end as I returned home.
I was so caught up in my own selfish thoughts that I almost hadn’t realized when Niall started to speak.
“Would you rather kiss the Blarney Stone,” He chewed his lip as his fretful eyes looked to the scenery behind me. “Or me?” With his last word his eyes locked onto me and I could practically see every feeling he’d ever had mirrored in his deep soulful eyes. He took in a gulp of cool air as he awaited my answer.
Niall’s question had left me completely shocked. Where did his question come from? Does he share my feelings for me?
My tongue was suddenly tied in intricate knots as I struggled to breathe. I could hear my heartbeat pound heavily in my ears.
Niall frowned at my silence. “Erm, Brookie? Are ya still there?” He visibly clenched his jaw. “S’okay , you don’t have to answer.”
I saw a brief flicker of sadness in his liquefied eyes before he covered it up; his face turning into an emotionless mask. “You can go kiss the stone now.” Niall released my hand and stepped back. He shot me a small smile but it didn’t reach his eyes.
“What if the stone’s not my answer?” I blurted out.
Niall’s eyes widened. “You would rather kiss me?” He asked, quietly.
“Of course I would rather kiss you, Niall.” I blushed deeply. I tucked a long, dark curl behind my ear. Niall gently took my hand in his once again, electricity shooting up my body as he did so.
“So you wouldn’t mind if I, ya know,” He was blushing too. “kissed you?”
“Not one bit.” I said. Niall tucked his hand on my waist before I could even collect my scattered thoughts. He let our foreheads rest against each other, his icy breath dancing across my lips.
“At the airport you told Chloe that you don’t kiss boys who aren’t your boyfriend. So Bee, would you do me the honour of being my girlfriend?” He paused, kind enough to ask.
I mustered out a quick nod before he crashed his lips to mine. The warmth of his mouth sent a current running through my body. My head suddenly became dizzy as I lost myself in his peppermint breath and smooth lips. I threw my arms over his shoulders, wishing that moments like these could last forever. I let my fingers knot into Niall’s blonde hair as he kissed me deeper.
I could feel his lips splitting into a smile as I poured every emotion I’d been feeling for him through the movement of my lips. My whole body turned to fire, each nerve more explosive than the last. I never wanted to live another second without Niall’s arms around me. I never wanted to awake a day where his smile didn’t brighten my morning.
I didn’t want to go back to America, not now, not ever. I wanted to live in this moment forever, with Niall’s hand on my waist and his lips on mine, becoming his for the first time.
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FINALLY. And long overdue I know. But I am hoping you enjoyed their first of many kisses haha this is my favourite chapter so far.. BRIALL OR NOOKE FOREVER<3
I don’t know about you, but I’m glad she didn’t choose the stone;)