Wild Ride

Chapter 10: Uneasiness

Xandria's pov

Three months had passed since Carl and I had known each other and over time we became very close. I had gotten so comfortable with him and I had agreed to come visit him.

I brushed my teeth and then took a shower. With a towel around my body, I stood in front of my wardrobe, my fingers trailing over the fabrics of my clothes. I was looking for the perfect outfit to wear to meet Carl. Not wanting to give off "I'm trying to impress him", I settled on a tee and flower-patterned shorts.

I dressed up. Moving to the mirror, I brushed my hair, letting it fall freely over my shoulders. I applied a hint of lip gloss, the subtle shine catching the light, and a dab of my favourite jasmine perfume behind my ears.

My phone buzzed with a message from Carl: "Can't wait to see you! 😊" My heart fluttered with the warmth of friendship and anticipation.

Before leaving, I took a deep breath, my reflection smiling back at me. This wasn't just any ordinary visit, it was going to be one where I would find out more about the kind of person he was in the comfort of his room.

With one last glance in the mirror, I put on slide slippers, locked my door and stepped out, the evening breeze greeting me as I was making my way to Carl's, the fading light painting the sky in shades of pink and purple.

As I walked to where his studio apartment was located, I started humming to myself. When I got there, I climbed up the stairs. I had no idea which of the doors was his, so I just informed him that I was already upstairs. A few seconds later, I heard a door opening, he told me to walk further, and when I was close to his door, he came out, grabbed me by my hand and ushered me in.

As I walked in, he locked the door and I started observing my surroundings. His room was quite okay for only him, it was very neat and spacious in its little way. While doing that, he sat down and motioned for me to sit down too. I was a bit scared though because it was just me and him alone in the room so I felt uneasy and uncomfortable.

"Are you okay?", he asked. I responded and told him yes because I didn't want him to know I was petrified. He asked me to take a seat again and this time around, I slowly sat down on the bed and rubbed my hands together on top of my legs.

He brought up a topic, and we started talking about it, from there I gradually started loosening up, we talked about one thing to the other, and it began to feel like I had known him all my life. I couldn't count how many times I laughed out loud at him joking around. It was then it dawned on me that I was beginning to like him very badly. I was scared because I had the thoughts he might have had a woman in his life, but I couldn't just confront him about it, at least not today.

There was a comfortable silence for a little while, the kind that felt like a warm blanket, enveloping us in its familiarity. I glanced at him, his profile outlined against the light, and my heart skipped a beat.

The air seemed charged with electricity, every breath I took filled with the scent of his perfume. Our hands brushed, a spark of connection, and neither of us pulled away.
"So," I said, my voice barely above a whisper, "what's your favourite memory?"

Carl chuckled. "Favorite memory? That's a tough one." He kept quiet for some seconds, lost in thought. "But I guess it would be a summer spent in a private cabin with my family when I was a teenager."

I smiled, imagining what he looked like as a teenager. Our shoulders subtly touched, a silent acknowledgement of the growing warmth between us. It was as if the universe itself was drawing us closer, the magnetic pull of two hearts destined to intertwine.

He laid down on the bed, making himself comfortable, and then he looked at me and smiled, a soft, genuine curve of his lips that made my lips part in response.

TO BE CONTINUED