Hidden Tracks | ✓

39 | trip of my life

Soler and I slowly crept through the tree lined perimeter, avoiding the guards.

The mansion was a handsome one, but the wall surrounding it was in dire need of renovation. It looked like Marlinspike Hall, where Captain Haddock had lived in The Adventures of Tintin.

The wall had a few cracks and crevices through which we could possibly crawl in and out, if we ever needed an escape route. But we also had to check out the back gate I'd spotted.

Poor maintenance. This property isn't looked after well enough, despite how large and fancy it is. Maybe Ianucci doesn't live here that often.

As we were walking slowly towards the back, binoculars in hand, I heard Soler speak up.

"It's not like I don't want to work with you," he said quietly.

I looked straight ahead. "Then?"

"I just--" he groaned. "You frustrate me a lot. Wait, that came out wrong. What I meant is that you really drive me crazy--"

"You're not making this any better."

He was really close behind me, and I could feel his breath on my shoulder. I heard him sigh.

"I know. I'm not making this any better, but I don't know how to tell you."

I spun around for a moment. "Tell me wha--"

Soler clamped my mouth shut with his hand and pulled me beside a large tree. His eyes were panicked. I stole a look to my right and saw a guard walking right in our direction.

He hadn't seen us yet, but in a few seconds, he was going to.

It was too late to back up behind the tree, and any rash movement would catch his eye for sure. I looked up at Soler in panic, and saw him glance to his left, at the road.

There was a young couple standing to the side of the road, holding hands and laughing together. The guards could probably see them, but no one told them to go away. Two young people in love, nothing to worry about.

Soler looked back at me, with an emotion I couldn't figure out burning in his eyes.

He leaned close and whispered, "Don't kill me, okay?"

In a flash, before I could process anything, his hands cupped my face and his lips were on mine.

What.

For a brief, heart stopping moment, my eyes widened. I couldn't believe what was happening. Why the hell was he--?

But then the truth dawned on me like a bucket of ice, as Miranda's words came back. Always be prepared to create a diversion, in case a guard spots you.

So he was kissing me to make us seem like a harmless couple, just like the one down the road.

I decided to play along. Closing my eyes, I looped my arms around his neck and kissed him back. Fake or not, it made my stomach twist with an unfamiliar emotion.

He had my back pressed against the tree and I bet to any observer, we'd seem like a very-much-in-love couple big on PDA. I heard the guard's footsteps in our direction, but all I could think about was Soler is kissing me. I'm kissing Soler. Marco Soler. What. Why is he such a good kisser?!

His lips were warm and slightly chapped, moving against mine like they were made for me. Which sounds like bullshit, I know, but in that moment, it really made sense. It's as if we'd been waiting for this moment all along, like the final piece of a huge, insanely confusing jigsaw puzzle we'd been trying to solve for years.