Lovers in October

SEVEN

M A R Y - K A T E

"Guess what!"

Antonio burst through the door, excitement at an all time high, his voice breaking through the quiet that was falling like a veil above Mary-Kate, Clayton and Charlie. He threw his body messily on the first available chair, almost tipping himself over with the amount of momentum he had conjured since he walked through the door.

Mary-Kate quickly reached over and stabilized him, unable to hold herself away from chuckling, burning all previous sour behavior she had whenever she thought of him, even though she was fully aware she had no right, or a reason to feel such a way. Seeing him this happy and delighted made her unable to stay unpleasant, for his smile was a sight for sore eyes.

"What?" Charlie laughed, popping another meatball in her mouth, chewing quietly as she waited for an answer.

"I got tickets for the reopening of the aquarium on Sunday." Antonio breathed out and held the tickets up proudly, before proceeding to steal a meatball from Clayton's plate, despite his friends' protests. "Who's coming?"

"I can't." Charlie groaned, "Promised my sister I would help her with her baby shower."

Antonio looked at Clayton next, begging him with his eyes. But Clayton pursed his lips with guilt, tilting his head to the side a tiny bit. "Sorry man, I got an anniversary to be at."

"Katie?" Antonio turned to Mary-Kate next, gathering her hands in his own, clenching them lightly, pleading her to say yes.

Their little touch of skins left Mary-Kate stunned, even if she had touched his hands plenty of times before. Every time he squeezed it made her heart skip a beat, every word he pronounced creating a glaze over her mind, clouds bouncing on the inside of her skull and preventing her from thinking clearly.

There was no way she would be able to deny his request, everyone knew that except Antonio. He looked too beautiful, too majestic for anyone to go against his will. And the worse thing? Everything he did was genuine. There was no grand plan to make her agree, to make her give in and say yes. No manipulation, and no guilt-trips. He desperately wanted her to agree, and a part of him was happy that Charlie and Clayton couldn't go.

Antonio craved for some time with her, just the two of them, ever since he found himself alone with her for the first time, laughing away their troubles with ice-cream in their hands. That bubbly laugh remained in his brain like a constant memory that didn't have any intention to ever go away, and the way she would tilt her body when she laughed, ever so slightly it was almost unnoticeable.

"Please?" Antonio whispered as he showed her a shy grin.

"Sure." Mary-Kate agreed, showing her pearly whites.

Antonio let out an excited groan and impulsively kissed her hands that he had enveloped in his, shooting up from his chair before moving towards the kitchen for something to drink or eat. Mary-Kate didn't really pay any attention to what he was doing in the kitchen, nor did she care, for she was trying to shake away the feeling his lips created on her skin.

It was like a numbing sensation that spread from her knuckles, to her wrists, up her arms and into her chest. Like she was relieving it, she was feeling the smooth skin of his hydrated lips connect with her skin, staying there for a mere second that appeared as if it was aons.

"He loves the aquarium. You should have seen him when it closed." Charlie grinned, recalling a memory in her head that made her laugh lightly before returning her attention to her food.

But Mary-Kate couldn't focus, tracing the spot on her skin that he kissed with her finger tips, admitting to herself that the sensation was a pleasant one, no matter if it lasted only for a second. Like an addiction, she wanted more and even if Mary-Kate found it frightening, she somehow knew there would be far more coming in the near future.