Sparks Reignited

25 | First Date

The place where Kyle takes me to for lunch is this cozy cafe called Wafflicious that's a few miles from the harbor.

The moment we enter, I fall in love with the otherworldly decor right away. In fact, it's actually a book cafe that occupies three storeys. Endless rows of bookshelves line along the walls and the dim illumination of fairy lights only gives off a mysterious yet charming aura to the place. Small, round tables and cushioned chairs litter across the floors. Tall bookshelves surround them, which gives us a decent privacy.

To me, this is perfect.

Arching a brow, I glance sideway at Kyle. "I never knew you would like this kind of place."

His hand rubs the back of his neck awkwardly, an action which tells me he's embarrassed. "It's not really for me, but I know you like this kind of place."

He's referring to the past me, but I guess a part of me remains because I can feel excitement bubbling inside of me. "I do," I say happily. "In fact, I love it."

His lips curl into that cute, boyish smile that I absolutely adore. And knowing that he only shows this side of him to me makes me a happier girl.

"So, do I earn more brownie points for this?"

"Definitely."

"What can I exchange them with?"

"Oh, I don't know. What do you want?"

He steps even closer to me and I find myself unable to breathe. Butterflies stir my stomach. My nervousness turns up a notch and I can almost hear the blood pounding in my ears.

"Can I ask for anything?"

My mind blanks out. "Y-yeah."

His teasing eyes flicker to my lips and it suddenly feels hot in the room, even though the AC is blasting cold air at us. "Later," he says. "I'll need time to think about it."

He takes my hand and tugs me to a spot in the corner by the window. We order two sets of waffles topped with strawberries and bite-sized bananas that are drizzled with a generous amount of chocolate sauce. When I bite into the crispy yet fluffy waffle accented with a cinnamon and vanilla scent, I let out a delightful moan.

"Dis is shoo gud," I mumble with my mouth full and swallowed. "We're coming back here again someday."

He takes a bite too. "I agree. This place is fairly new, and it's a good thing that I found them."

We take a moment to finish the food. In the meantime, I pull a book titled 'Wonder' from a nearby shelf, rifling through the pages. It's a story about a ten-year-old boy named August, who was born with a facial abnormality. He went to a proper school and struggled to be accepted.

I'm intrigued, because it sounds a little similar to my case. But this character definitely seemed like he had it tougher than me.

The brief description of the story pulls me in, not to mention how enchanting the smell of a physical book is. As I read, I can feel Kyle watching me.

"Riley?"

"Hm?"

"You've chocolate beside your mouth."

Embarrassed, I try to wipe the stain with the back of my hand, but I think I miss the spot. As I struggle, a hand reaches for my face.

"It's on the right side," he says. "Here, I got it."

Using his thumb, he swipes at the corner of my lips. I'm fairly certain that my cheeks are in flames right now. "Thanks."

He stares at me for a long time, his shoulders shaking in suppressed laughter. I'm confused, but when his eyes are staring at my chin, I finally understand why.