Strangers To Lovers

Chapter Twenty-Four

When she hesitates, her eyes flash with a mixture of uncertainty and frustration. Her lips part as if she's about to say something, but she stops herself. It's maddening. Anyone who knew her well enough would understand what she wanted to say, but for some reason, she doesn't. Instead, she takes a breath, the tension leaving her shoulders, as if she's willing herself to stay calm.

"It's going to be fine," she says, though her tone betrays her doubt. I can tell she’s trying to convince herself, and that only frustrates me more.

“Ella…” I step closer, trying to close the emotional distance between us. “Why do you always do that? Why do you always brush things off like it’s nothing?”

She avoids my gaze, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. "Because... it’s easier that way," she admits quietly.

"Easier for who?" I challenge, my voice dropping. "Because it sure as hell doesn’t make things easier for me."

Her eyes snap up to meet mine, and for the first time, I see a flash of anger. "I never asked you to care," she says, her voice tight.

That hits harder than I expect, but I don’t back down. I step forward, closing the gap between us. “Well, too bad. Because I do.”

She flinches, like my words physically hit her. Her walls are up again, higher than before. But I'm not letting this go.

"Why do you keep running away from this?" I ask, my tone softer now, trying to coax her into opening up. "What are you so afraid of?"

"I'm not running," she says, but there's no conviction in her voice. "I'm just... trying to be realistic."

"Realistic?" I scoff, stepping even closer until we're inches apart. "Since when did you start caring about being realistic? You've always gone after what you wanted."

Her breath hitches, and she looks away, her cheeks flushing slightly. "Not when it comes to this. Not when it comes to you."

There it is. The vulnerability she tries so hard to hide. And damn it, I feel it too. The fear, the uncertainty. But I’m not letting it stop me.

I reach out and gently cup her face, tilting her chin so she’s forced to look at me. “You don’t have to be afraid of me, Ella. I’m not going anywhere.”

She blinks, her lashes fluttering as she struggles to keep her composure. "I... I don’t know how to do this," she whispers, her voice trembling.

“You don’t have to know. We’ll figure it out together,” I reply, my thumb brushing lightly over her cheek.

Her lips part, and for a moment, I think she might pull away again. But then, she leans into my touch, just slightly, and I take that as a sign to close the distance. I kiss her, softly at first, testing the waters. Her lips are warm and hesitant, but when I deepen the kiss, I feel her melt into me.

For a second, everything feels perfect.

And then—our teeth clash.

We both jerk back, startled, and Ella bursts into nervous laughter. "Oh my God, that was so bad!" she giggles, covering her mouth with her hand.

I rub the back of my neck, feeling a heat crawl up my cheeks. "Yeah, not exactly smooth," I admit, laughing despite myself.

She looks up at me, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Do you always kiss girls like that?"

I roll my eyes playfully. "Not exactly my best performance, no."

She grins, and there’s something so light and carefree about her smile that I can’t help but smile back. The tension that was suffocating us moments ago seems to dissolve, replaced by something softer, something more genuine.