By the time we reached the parquet, the orchestra had switched their tune to "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri. Instantly, I felt a resonant wave of nostalgia settle in as the complicated feelings I had for Kendall became personified through the singer's sweet, melodic words.
The day we met
Frozen I held my breath
Right from the start
I knew that I'd found a home for my heart
Beats fast
Colors and promises
How to be brave?
How can I love when I'm afraid to fall?
But watching you stand alone
All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow
Warmth enveloped my body, as he invaded my senses. His hands tightened around my hips, and I brought my hands up to meet his shoulders, locking them around his neck. We moved in tandem with the soothing melody of the song, stuck in a comfortable quietness. My head fell to his chest, as I rested my cheek where his heartbeat lied.
"I don't hate you. I could never hate you, Sasha." Kendall lowered his head so that his lips hovered over my ear. I slightly pulled back, unnerved by the way his eyes bore into mine.
"I know." Was all I could manage to say.
"A lot happened to me, after you left. I don't think I can absolve myself of all the things I've done, so it's easier to resent you." One of his hands moved from its placement on my waist to graze my cheek softly. My heart nearly exploded into a million pieces at the gesture.
"What are you talking about?" I implored. His words had been so cryptic, leaving me further confused.
"You deserve better. I'm not a good man." He warned, but I willed myself to throw my caution to the wind.
"Kendall, just stop." My hand rose to meet his on my cheek. I squeezed it, hoping to convey all the emotions I struggled to vocalize.
"There's so much you don't know. I won't ever forgive myself." His eyes dipped to my lips, persisting there as he pulled my body closer to him.
I laid my head on his chest once more and he moved his chin to rest on my head. There was nothing sexual about the exchange. Just the unwitting connection between two childhood friends. I had a lot to think about, precisely his obscure warnings.
What could he have possibly done that was so terrible?
When the song gradually came to an end, Kendall slipped away from my hold and treaded towards the side exit. I watched a few women eye him suggestively, looks of desire and lust presented on each of their plastic faces.
It was bewildering to witness someone who was so attractive, yet still stoic and brusque. I couldn't believe he had once been my Austin.
Instinctively, I found my feet slowly moving on their own to follow him through the same side door he'd just exited from. Once outside, I searched in both directions of the terrace, only to find him leaning over the balcony with a cigarette securely wrapped between his lips. He exhaled a wave of air and a large puff of smoke followed.
"When did you start smoking?" I asked as I approached him, keeping my gaze fixed on the breathtaking view overlooking the city. My mind travelled back to the time he had smoked a cigar at the lounge. It seemed the practice had been more of a habit, rather than a hobby.
"Fifteen." He stared down at me, before taking another puff.
"Why?"
"I guess you could say it was therapeutic." Detecting the dismissiveness of his tone, I decided it would be best to give him his space. I turned from him, intending to make my way back to the terrace door.
"Wait. Stay." His request had surprisingly come out like a plea. When his hand firmly took hold of my bicep, I felt an electrifying shiver travel straight down my back.
YOU ARE READING
Inheritance
Romance[Excerpt]: "Does it bother you?" He asked, after an incisive moment of silence. "Does...what bother me?" I immediately returned, unable to decipher the objective behind the closed-ended question. "The way I stare. At you." He pondered, as his dark...
