Within six seconds, I heard footsteps coming up. People were sneaking glances upwards so I moved away from the edge and leaned against the wall.
Okay, angry mode on. Don't melt. Frown on face and arms crossed.
"Alli?" Jared came up looking breathless.
"What?" I snapped, leaning against the wall.
I gave my best angry pout and turned away my face. A smile was threatening to erupt on my face as he looked comical standing there breathless and looking like an idiot about to declare his feelings for a girl for the first time.
"Alli," He poked my waist.
I turned my head away further. Then, the jerk had the nerve to tickle me. Just as I yelped, he grabbed my waist and turned me towards him.
I saw from the corner of my eye that he had locked the door. When did he do that? Anyway, he was fast.
"Um, we have had enough interference whenever it comes to us being alone," He answered my thoughts, scratching his neck, "Some of the paparazzi might also have followed me till here, curious. I asked Adam to take the car back to my place to not generate suspicions. I needed some peace and alone time with you."
I looked at the ground stubbornly.
"Hey," He kept his hand under my chin and lifted my face to meet his dull grey eyes.
"Am I forgiven?" He asked softly and hopefully.
I stared into his eyes trying to find any sort of dishonesty or hidden motive, but I couldn't find any.
The ice was melting. I cleared my throat, "You really broke the engagement yourself and not because Cecelia did it first?"
"No. I did it. I thought about everything you said that night, Hailey told me and I couldn't do that to either of us. It was my mistake, so I had to fix it. I understood what you said. I am sorry I insulted you like that. I didn't think of it that way. I just wanted to be with you, forgetting about the entire scenario of you being the other woman."
I quickly bend down and opened my one of my shoe before hitting him with it.
"Ow! What the hell, woman?!"
"You complete asshole, Jared Grey! This is the first and last time you will pull a stunt like this, okay? It was so embarrassing!" I snarled, putting the shoe back on.
"Hey, but it worked!"
The look on my face made him give a sheepish look, "Okay fine, I won't do it again, I swear."
I gave a hard punch on his stomach. He winced before he gave a half hearted laugh.
"I am sorry, Alli. Look, I want to say something before you start," He explained, "You can stay angry at me, but don't go away. Stay with me and be angry so that I can work on making you forgive me. I don't want us to part again. That's why stay beside me and I will try everyday. I promise," He said earnestly.
I frowned.
"Say something," He pleaded, almost folding his hands now.
"Next time you pull any kind of stunt like this, I will seriously break your bones and chop off your balls," I said, narrowing my eyes, "With the pen knife," I added.
He blinked before he burst out laughing, "Consider me warned. I am so sorry, Alli."
"Then let's start over," I said, "I have hurt you, you hurt me. You can say we are even now. So, forget everything and start anew."
"Meaning?" He asked perplexed, "We already know each other very well."
I shook my head and stepped back one step.
"Hi, I am Allison Marshall. I have a twin sister, Alice Marshall. I love books, hate jerks," I extended my hand. He looked amused, biting his lip.
"Hi, I am Jared Grey. And I will finally kiss you now, the thing I have been dying to do for months now," He said, grinning widely and moving forward.
"Wha-"
Jared grabbed my hand and pulled me. He cupped my face and pressed his lips to mine, his eyes shutting close.
Nope. No fireworks.
It was an explosion of pent up emotions. Molecules were bursting, my heart was not working, my brain was going haywire. Shit, its been too long. Way too long.
We smiled through the kiss and he trailed his hands to my waist where they locked themselves tightly. I wrapped my arms around his neck and knotted my fingers in his hair, closing my eyes as well and parting my lips as I pulled him closer to me. I felt my toes curling as he bend me down a little so that my back was arching and kissed me, taking all the time in the world whilst tightly holding me close to him, as if I would vanish the second he let me go.
This was like a first kiss.
It was magical. At least for me. It was everything a girl could hope and dream for. I could feel it through my bones as every inch of me had sensations running through.
His warm breath tickled my neck as he trailed small, soft kisses along my jaws and neck before kissing my cheeks and kissing me again, his hands roaming all over my body and boy, did it feel good. I grabbed his face and kissed him with all the love I could muster, grazing my thumbs across his cheeks that were dotted with a stubble. He chuckled and kissed my nose once and showered me with some more pecks on the lips and then my entire face, as if a thirsty man in a desert had finally found water.
Finally, he himself broke it- the big goofy grin still plastered on his face as he looked the happiest person in earth and I was pretty sure my face was the same. My face was hurting from the smiling. He rested his forehead against mine, breathing heavily.
"So... um... you never loved Alice, huh?" I asked, inhaling loudly though I knew the answer by now.
He sighed, shaking his head, "You foolish idiot girl. I never loved her. It was always you. It was always Allison, not Alice. I loved you, I love you, I will always love you."
These words were enough to knock the wind out of me, "At the engagement..."
"I thought you were Alice. So I said her name. You can't blame me for that. I don't care whether your name is Allison or Alice. I fell in love with the person standing in front of me. I got angry because I thought you would never keep any secret from me. Even if your name was Julian or Bob, I wouldn't care.
I hated the way you dressed up because you looked like your sister. I always want you to look as yourself, the girl whom I fell in love with. When I confronted you that day at your house I was angry because I got a big shock. Alice was Allison and Allison was Alice," He explained.
"You thought I would judge you even when I made myself clear from the beginning I liked you a lot. You didn't come clean even after five months even though now that I think of it, you did try few times but even then, you had ample chances. That was what hurt me. It wasn't because I loved Alice and I thought you kept her away from me. I don't even know her so how the hell can I love her?"
Stupid tears. Threatening to come out.
"I love the girl who loves blueberry pies, not apple pies. I love the girl with the quieter nature and a stubborn attitude. If she is at fault she always apologises, even if its a waiter. I love you Allison. And will always love you. Every moment of my life and I can write it down for you. This stupid pumping machine of mine that is currently racing a thousand miles a minute is yours. Its yours and will be yours forever. Now does that answer your stupid questions or should I become more dramatic?" He finished.
I nodded, "Whoo, that was some speech. No wonder girls fall at your feet. Give speeches like this and you will get any girl."
"Yes. But I just want one girl. I have always wanted her since high school," He wiped the traitor tears gently, pressing a soft kiss on my forehead.
"So you love me," I almost choked out, "Good."
"I just poured out my heart and you say good? Are you crazy?" He asked shaking his head.
I laughed and pinched his nose, "Yes, crazy in love with you jerk. Unfortunately."
"Unfortunately? More like fortunately. You are so lucky to have me," He winked.
"Bastard," I replied.
"Yes, but your bastard."
"Yes, my bastard," I grinned, sniffing and doubting highly that a piece of snot could've gone into my mouth.
"I'll tell you this again. I have never loved any girl besides you. Always. This feeling which I have for you is so strong and genuine that no Alice, Cecelia or anyone can take it away. Its just you and will always be you. You have, are and will always be my first pick, second pick, third pick and infinite picks."
"I am sorry too for hiding my identity. I was an insecure brat and wanted you only to myself. I made some bad decisions when I was a teenager. I spoke rudely to you at times thinking I was doing the right thing. I shouldn't have done that," I shook my head, sniffing, "I am sorry I based your character on certain teenage traits and refused to believe it even when you consistently proved that being a good human had nothing to do with average looks or being middle class. You and your family have always proved that."
"Alli-"
"No, let me finish. I am sorry for not being true to myself that time. If I could go back, I wouldn't ever lie to you. I would work hard to make myself a better person. Then you would be mine-"
He pressed a finger against my lips.
"You moron, I was yours from the day we met. I will explain clearly this time. Even though I did ask Alice out intially, it was because she was pretty. I didn't know her as a person. I fell for you completely after I got to know you, Allison. Those three times I met Alice initially was like a fan trying to take a selfie with a celebrity. I thought she was a bit high handed but I nevertheless wanted to give it a try.
I wouldn't pursue further if Alice had come to the café that day. However, I found the attitude had changed since you came to the café instead of your sister and that's when I was sure I wanted you to give us a chance because it was like I was meeting a new person after those three meet ups which was technically true. You had me since the day at the café. There was no going back after that. You have had me even during these five years. I have always missed you and thought about you. I didn't date anyone during this time-"
"Yeah, just fucked."
He rolled his eyes, "Well yeah. It was a biological need and not my most clever decision but I had to make myself forget. You did it too-"
"With just one guy. Not with ten-twenty people."
"No, definitely not more than seven, I can assure you. How is it any different from sleeping with a same person seven times?"
"Buffet vs ala carte, I guess."
"The point is Allison," He sighed impatiently, "I didn't ever stop thinking about you and that's the ultimate truth. I am way past that phase since last few months. I love you. I really, really do."
"I love you too, Jared. I love you so damn much," I couldn't stop as the tears rolled down and I laughed. It was embarrassing.
But it wasn't tears of joy. It was more of a relief. The elephant in the room was cleared. All those frustrations, those unexplained stares and talks, it was all out finally. We had come clear.
"If you had been at the supermarket that day, I would have asked you out. You, Allison Marshall, you are what matters to me. With or without the difference in name. With or without glasses. With or without attitude. You are my endgame," He finished, wiping my face and rubbing our noses together as he pecked my nose.
And again, I was literally bawling as buckets of tears flowed and every misconception I had became cleared. Jared had explained it all.
"Promise me one thing, Jared. We both are flawed, heavily flawed. We have loads to work upon. But if things ever get sour again, we will talk and communicate. We won't run away again. We won't assume anymore or hide things from each other ever. Promise me."
"I promise. No more assumptions or hiding. We will work together and give our best, okay?" He cradled my face as I cried like a baby.
I didn't even know whether these were tears of happiness or exhaustion or years worth of pent up affection and sadness that was making me bawl but at that moment, I didn't care. He could see me like this, raw and bare faced and I would still be happy.
He smiled warmly at my pitiful self and was about to kiss me again when I pulled back for a minute, "What if I had said I wanted to remain friends and nothing more after the stunt you pulled today?"
"I would've jumped off the terrace ledge," He said seriously but still not leaving me.
"Oh man, I should've tried that once then," I chuckled finally, sniffing my snotty nose.
"Nope. I couldn't take that. I have had enough of your friendship," He snorted, "Enough drama, enough obstacles have come. I have led you on. There have been enough games between us. Now, I just want some peace with you. That's it. For gods sake, no more just friendship. Its high time we are together now. We will be both lovers and best friends. I want us to be boyfriend and girlfriend literally that includes loads of making out and sex while also buying puppies if you want. Now, kiss me."
He bend down and again closed the gap between us. Needless to say, I was more than willing to oblige.