The Moon Is Beautiful

Chapter 34

My hands grip the glass plate in my hands.

I remove my one hand briefly to ring the doorbell. I'm standing on Kaden's front porch with a plate stacked with piping hot sweet potato that Ms. Anderson has steamed herself.

It's been a few days since I have seen Kaden, and I'm sure that it's not because he stays locked inside his home all day, but rather because I've been too busy with my friends to do anything else but hang out with them. I haven't even had some bonding time with my mother either, and that is something I regret.

This morning, I decided to pay a visit to Ms. Anderson's shop and luckily for me, she had just steamed some sweet potato and offered me some. When I was done, she kindly asked me to bring some to Kaden and so here I am, standing on his doorstep.

It's a little early in the morning and I'm not sure about his sleeping pattern. I just hope he isn't still sleeping. However, just as I am about to ring the doorbell once more, the door swings open, revealing a quite disheveled Kaden.

I'm surprised to see him like this, wearing a sleeveless tank top with a pair of dark blue pajama pants and his hair tousled on top of his head, being used to seeing him quite polished and in order.

"Good morning, Kaden." I cheerfully greet, unsure of where the sudden cheerful energy inside of me has come from. Maybe he just has a ability to bring this out in me.

"Rosie," he says, surprise mixed with relief flashing in his eyes. Why there's relief in his eyes, I have no idea. "What brings you here this early?"

"Oh. I visited Ms. Anderson and she sent steamed sweet potato for you." I say, holding the plate out to him. He doesn't take it, and then I realise that he doesn't know I'm holding it out for him to take.

"Thank you. Would you like to come in?" he asks and even though I should probably get back home before the others wake up, I find myself saying yes and walking in.

I've only been in his home once before this, but the moment I walk in, I immediately feel at home, as if I have spent years living here. It's amazing.

"Do you want anything to drink?" he asks, walking into the living room after me.

"I'm okay," I say, placing the plate onto the kitchen table. "How have you been?"

"I've been okay. You?"

"Me too."

And then a silence overtakes us.

We surprise one another by suddenly both bursting into giggles, smiling at one another.

I love this. If we have nothing to talk about or think of, we both just laugh the awkwardness away. I have a hard time keeping a conversation with another person when it's only the two of us, and so it makes things awkward quite often, but not with Kaden.

We can just laugh it away and carry on as though it was never there in the first place. I've never had a friendship like this before, not even with Eliza, but I like it. It's quite refreshing in a strange way that I can't explain to anyone else.

"Take a seat." he says, gesturing to a chair at the kitchen table. I follow, sitting down. He sits down opposite me and peels the foil off the plate. Steam rises into the air as he reveals the delicacy underneath the foil and he takes one into his hands, wincing slightly at the hotness of it.

He takes a bite of the sweet potato, but only after blowing onto it gently. He smiles in content, seeming pleased with the taste.

"So, how long are your friends still going to be here?" he asks, taking another bite.

"They'll probably leave when I do." I say with a shrug. His entire body becomes rigid at my words, tensing.

"You're leaving?"

"Yes."

"When?"

"I'm not sure. But it won't be long. I'm in my final year and so I have to return. I have a year-end assignment to give in too. Not that I've started with it yet." I say, my mouth watering at the sight of him eating the sweet potato so deliciously even though I already had two back at Ms. Anderson's shop.

"Do you have to go?" he suddenly questions, staring at me with intense eyes.

"Of course I do. I may have grown up here but my entire life is in the city now. I've built a life there." I say, my eyebrows furrowing at his question. It almost sounds as though he himself doesn't want me to leave.

"Then, can I ask you a favour?" he asks, placing the sweet potato back onto the plate.

"Sure. What is it?" I say without thinking. I mean, it's not like he'll ask me to do something ridiculous like stripping for him or anything. At least, I trust that he won't.

"Can I kiss you?"

I freeze. I was not expecting this. I'm not even sure how to react to his request. Why does he want to kiss me?

"Why?" I ask, leaning back in my seat.

"I want to confirm something." he says, the sudden seriousness overtaking his features making me realise that he's not joking or playing a prank on me. He really wants to kiss me. No, he really needs to kiss me.

But, what does he want to confirm? And why do we need to kiss for him to do it?

"You don't have to do it if you don't feel comfortable." he reassures me, as if he can sense the turmoil going on inside of me right now. I swallow uncomfortably. I'm glad that I have a choice to say no, yet, if I do reject him, I'll always wonder why he has asked for this in the first place.

I'm not sure if I can deal with thd uncertainty.

Gulping, I decide to make a bold decision. "Okay, but just a quick peck. Nothing more."

He nods, looking relieved by me agreeing to it. For whatever reason he needs this, I'll allow him.

"But in return, you have to tell me why afterwards." I warn, knowing that he wouldn't just ask to kiss me for something simple. It must be really important, and I don't want to stand in the way of that.

Besides, it's just one kiss, just a little peck. It's nothing to worry about. It's not like I have feelings for him, and so it'll be fine. I'll be fine.

We both stand up and he rounds the table, stopping in front of me. My eyes flutter close in anticipation, awaiting his lips to find mine.

And then I feel it, his breath on my lips, and then the brush of his lips. But then, almost immediately, he pulls back. My eyes open at the suddenness. He asked to kiss me, so why is he suddenly pulling away?

Is something wrong, or does he actually not want to kiss me?

"What's...wrong?" I softly asks, reaching out to touch his hand. He pulls back when our skin brushes against each other, recoiling away from my touch, and this just makes me more confused.

Why is he suddenly acting this way?

"Later." he finally says.

"Huh?" I blurt out.

"Later. We'll do the kiss later." he says, walking away.

Later? Later when? I want to ask him, but I feel hesitant. Great.

Now I'm going to be anxious about when he may suddenly just kiss me. I was ready just now, but he doesn't want to.

What does this mean?