The Game of Hearts

35 // Snap Out Of It

Chapter 35 - Snap Out Of It

"What's been happening in your world?

What have you been up to?

I heard that you fell in love

Or near enough

I got to tell you the truth..."

"No." I ended up saying, completely red and embarrassed. "You're interrupting absolutely nothing."

James had an amused smile on his face that quickly disappeared once my father scowled at him.

"Just friends, uh?" My father glared at me, his arms crossed over his chest and his eyebrows furrowed.

"Technically, we're just friends." I said in a whisper as neither me nor James had officialized anything.

"In my time friends didn't kiss each other, especially not in the way you two were kissing." My father pointed out in a firm voice.

"I'm sorry, sir." James spoke up, taking a few steps towards my father. "It was completely my fault. I was the one who initiated the kiss, Kiara had nothing to do with it."

My father glared at him but James didn't falter, holding his gaze. Suddenly I felt like the outsider.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" I asked my dad, who had gotten strangely silent.

"I'm simply wondering why you would lie to us about this, Kiara. You are not one to lie."

If only he knew.

"I'm not lying! On Valentine's Day, when I told you James was just a friend... I was telling the truth. He was just a friend. But if you ask me..." I looked over at James, who was trying to hide a smile. "... Right now I think he means more to me than that. I don't know. I never felt this before and I don't know what I am supposed to do and I'm sorry if I somehow upset you but this is the first time I'm feeling such emotions and I'm still trying to figure out how to deal with them, okay? And if you're just being protective and doing the whole daddy-thing then I think you should stop. I know how to take care of myself, and you should trust me. But after all, you don't."

I was blushing and heating up at every word that was coming out of my mouth, but I couldn't stop. I glanced at James who was staring at me with a weird expression that I couldn't quite define. It was a mix of surprise but there was something else in there as well.

My father sighed and rubbed his chin.

"I need to leave now, I just came to grab something for work. I'm going to trust you, Kiara, as you're so fond of accusing me that I don't trust you. So I'll show you I do — I'm going to leave you here with him. You decide what happens next. This is me showing you I trust you. So don't break that trust."

My father went inside and after grabbing his work things, he approached his car and got in. He glanced at us one last time and then drove off.

"Well, that was intense." James said, rubbing his neck uncomfortably.

"Tell me about it. But to be honest, I'm quite surprised that he'd leave us here alone."

"Well, not alone. We have Rusty." James noticed, smiling down at him.

I sat down on the grass and James sat beside me, Rusty lying down next to him. I didn't know what to say — lately that was happening a lot to me — so I just kept quiet.

"So you've never felt these emotions before, uh?" James smirked and I scowled at him.

"Oh don't flatter yourself. Just because you're the first guy I—- well, forget it." I stood silent but James wasn't quite finished yet.