Six

I get down from the stairs where I had fallen asleep on after everyone left and I climb up the stairs, heading for my room when I hear the door open, and with care I draw closer, making sure my feet don’t make any noise as I walk.

I draw closer and I see William walk in and close the door and when I look at the clock on the wall and it reads two minutes past midnight. He is looking tired and quite exhausted and I can’t help feeling a part of my heart go out to him, but the other part refuses to feel sad or pity for him. He drops his suitcase on the brown leather sofa and moves around it to sit down.

“I’m glad you’ve gotten. home now,” I spoke, making my presence known to him before turning and walking off.

I hear him call out my name, but I don’t care to look at him as I walk in and slam the door. I walk to the bed and throw myself on it and close my eyes when I hear a knock on my door.

I stay silent for the first few knocks that come to my door and just when I thought he had left; his voice came up at the door. “I know you’re in there and I know you’re upset with me, but please open the door and let me explain.”

“Go away, William, I want to sleep,” I sigh and bury my head deeper into the pillow, but the knock just keeps coming and groaning. I get up from my bed and walk to the door. “I know what you want to say. You’re going to tell me how your flight got delayed and you couldn’t make it for my birthday, but guess what? It was yesterday, you still broke your promise.”

“Yes, I’m sorry I couldn’t make it and I thought you were going to be asleep when I will come back.” he sighs, “come on, open the door.”

I turn the doorknob and there he is, looking breathtaking and handsome as hell, and I want to cuddle and kiss him and the need was intense. “What do you want?”

He rubs his forehead in frustration, “I want to say I’m sorry, ki—” he starts off, but I don’t let him finish. 

“First off, stop calling me kid.”

He frowns down at me in a little confusing manner, “Why?”

“Because I realise that the more you keep calling me that, the more you keep seeing me as that, a kid.”

His frown doesn’t settle, it deepens. “You’ve always been okay with it.

I shake my head, ready to argue my case out adamantly, “I never have and I don’t want you seeing me and calling me that anymore.”

He pauses, looking at me with a curious eye, “Listen, kid-“

I cut him off before he can complete his sentence, tired of him not listening, “Stop freaking calling me kid!” I yell, hissing in pure irritation.

His brow rises in surprise. “The school has been teaching you how to cuss, eh?” he demands with a tender voice, which isn’t what I expect.

“No, it hasn’t.” My eyes lower and my anger drifts away. I had no intention of being disrespectful, even though I was furious. His warm finger slowly touches my cheeks, sending shivers down my spine and he tilts my chin up to look at him. “Just stop calling me kid.”

“Why?” he asks again just like before, but although the same question, I know it should have a different answer.

“Because I am not a kid!” I state, not knowing how else to say it. “I don’t want to be a kid to you, I want to be more than that.”

“How old are you?” he asks as his eyes darken while he still stares at me.

His question takes me by surprise as I wasn’t expecting it. I still don’t understand why he’s asking when he knows my age.

My cheeks burn and I bite down on my lips to stop its obviousness, “I’m nineteen, William, what does that mean.”

He smirks, his finger stroking my cheeks tenderly. “I’m thirty-three years old, kid.”

I bite down on my lower lip to stop myself from crumbling and crying immediately. For a weird reason, his words which I can say aimed to prove a point—more of make me stay away, seem to have cut deep into my heart as well. And yes, he’s older, mature; but the heart wants what it wants.

I shove his hand away from my face, already feeling his teasing coming along. He’s probably going to tell me how far apart we are, and that’s the last thing I want to hear.

Things are already as bad as they are. 

“Then you should leave,” I tell him and turn to leave, but his hand pulls me back and I collide with his solid form, and my breath cut in my throat both in fear and in anticipation.

My face comes incredibly close to his chest where his heart beat steadily and I want to place my hand on it and I do it immediately before I get to talk myself out of it and as my hand slowly touches him, his heartbeat skips and his hand quickly takes control of mine and I look up from his chest to his face.

I hear his deep, harsh, and heavy breathing and it brushes over my face and I can’t look away once my eyes get locked in his.

The harsh line of his forehead that normally comes to his face when he’s in deep concentration appears on his face, “You don’t know what you want, kid.” He mutters under his breath, brushing the strand of hair on my face away.

“I do. You think I don’t because you still see me as a kid, but I do. I want you, William, I have feelings for you.” I reveal to my surprise and fear.

I hear him suck a quick breath, “It’ll be better if you stay away, for your own safety.”

“What does that mean?” I demand; trying to pull from him, but his hands only tighten around me. 

“The only reason you still feel this way about me is because I consider you as a kid and by so doing I’m bond to put you and your needs first.”

I raise a challenging brow at him. “I can take care of myself. Why do you seem to forget that?”

He shakes his head, “Not from me you can’t.” and with that, his lips brush ever so fleetingly against mine before dominating every sense working in me and I can’t help putting my arms around his neck and pulling him closer, so we pressed against each other while the kiss deepens.

We pull apart and I’m lost for words to say because the kiss we just shared is the first and way better than I ever expected. He gently strokes my cheeks, his grey eyes sparkling with desires as he says, “Happy birthday, kid.”

I smile happily at him and he unwraps his arms from around my waist and steps back, “Thank you,” I wholeheartedly tell him and licks over my bottom lips.

He walks to the door, “Good night, kid,” he says and walks out and I make my way over to the bed and crawl onto it. 

I close my eyes and for once I’m happy to dream and fall asleep, knowing William already knows about my feelings for him and I’m no longer alone with my feelings