Nothing We Could Do

Chapter 25

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———— I V A N N A ————

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"Im not going in there." I clipped my seatbelt back on and shook my head, "Take me far away from this place."

Kioshi groaned and threw his head back in frustration, "Ivanna, come on."

I glared at the massive mansion looming over us, snow covering the lawn and hedges and yet it still remained so overwhelming. I counted not one, not two, not three, but four floors and about 10000 balconies. What kind of house had more than two floors? The more I looked at it, the more uneasy I became. I didn't belong in a place like that at all.

"Kioshi I'm not stepping a foot inside this place. If you don't take me back, I'm walking."

"In the snow? Really?"

"Yes." I gave him a stern look to tell him that I wasn't joking around.

He released a breath and picked up his phone to make a call, running a hand through his hair.

"Hey mom? Yeah change of plans-"

He paused, listening to what they were saying, his brows frowning hard, "What? How would I know? Yes- I know she's my girlfriend but... Can you let me speak please? There's been a change of plans and- huh? What do you mean? What? Your coming out? No I was trying to tell you that-"

The line went dead and he groaned, palming his face, "She's coming."

I frowned, "What?"

"My mom saw the car and she's coming."

I glanced warily at the house again, "Let's go before she comes."

"Ivanna, you know, they're the nicest people in the world. Ok, sometimes they are a little too friendly but they'll no doubt love you and-"

"No," I shook my head, "I can't."

I bit my lip hard as panic seized my throat. There was no way I was going in there. I didn't belong there. What the hell was I thinking in the first place?

"Ivanna," he reached over and grabbed my hand, "Its nothing to stress about, I swear."

It was weird how him saying that calmed me down so much, and yet the uneasy feeling remained. It was too much and it was all happening too fast.

"I just need a second." I mumbled, looking away so he wouldn't see how embarrassed I was.

"Hey," Kioshi gently nudged my chin to face him, "Just meet them, alright? We'll leave whenever you want."

I nodded, a weird calm sensation rushing over me as I stared into his sincere eyes. Somewhere along the way, Kioshi had managed to break down every single barrier I'd put up and that moment, staring into his eyes, I almost wanted to cry. How the hell had I gone without him my whole life? How the hell had I managed?

My heart swelled as I grabbed his shirt and pulled him forwards, our lips meeting in a soft kiss.

His hands caressed my face as he kissed me so gently it warmed my heart and made it feel so weirdly full. It almost made me sad really, I could only imagine what it would feel like if he was capable of love after Amy. She was lucky to have had him but she'd made sure nobody else would have him after her.

If only we'd met before then maybe...

Then maybe what? Would I have fallen in love with him? Would I have been meeting his parents under different circumstances? The answer was yes.