the connection ~ Kimi Antonelli

Chapter 6

I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder, and my eyelids slowly fluttered open. As I gradually emerged from my short nap, I realized that my head was comfortably resting on Kimi's shoulder. The rhythmic sound of the waves against the boat's hull had provided the perfect backdrop for my brief respite. A faint blush crept onto my cheeks due to the proximity, and Kimi's presence. His warm, inviting shoulder had been an unexpectedly comfortable pillow. He offered me a warm, understanding smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners as if sharing an inside joke.

"It's alright, Y/n," he said in a gentle tone, his voice carrying the softness of the moment. "You looked so peaceful; I didn't want to wake you up."

My cheeks flushed even deeper, and I couldn't help but chuckle in response, my heart swelling with a mix of emotions. But then I became acutely aware of just how close our faces were, the way his scent lingered in the air. In a moment of self-consciousness, I pulled back slightly, pretending to brush an errant strand of hair behind my ear. "Well, I hope I didn't drool or snore in my sleep," I added with a laugh, trying to ease the newfound tension, and Kimi smiled back at me, a twinkle in his eyes.

Kimi's laughter was like a soothing melody, and it put me at ease. "Not at all," he reassured me with a soft chuckle. "You were a perfect napping companion."

Playful teasing soon erupted from our friends. Raimond couldn't resist the opportunity to join in, saying, "Y/n, you found the best pillow on the boat, huh?"

The others chimed in with good-natured laughter, and Lorenzo playfully asked, "Kimi, did you give her a lullaby to help her sleep?"

A blush deepened on my face, and I chose to hit Lorenzo on the shoulder rather than look in Kimi's direction, my laughter intermingled with the playful banter.

"Alright, alright," Ollie interjected, waving his hand to signal our departure. "Y/n and I have to go anyway."

With a chorus of farewells and well-wishes, we prepared to disembark. As I exchanged lingering looks with Kimi, our eyes met for a moment longer than necessary. There was an unspoken connection, a shared understanding that transcended words. It both excited and scared me, so I quickly looked away, scurrying to my best friend like a mouse seeking shelter.

As Ollie and I made our way to leave, Paul couldn't resist making one last comment. "You know, Kimi definitely likes you, Y/n."

Ollie nodded in agreement as he helped me down off the boat, saying, "Yeah, I mean, he practically blushed when you fell asleep on his shoulder."

I rolled my eyes, a mixture of emotions coursing through me. "Ollie, Paul, as much as I love you two, would you both shut up? He really doesn't have those sorts of feelings towards me. And anyway, I wouldn't care if he did."

Despite my words, I couldn't ignore the fluttering feeling in my stomach. As we started to walk away, Ollie continued talking excitedly about his cool backflips off the boat.

As we walked, hushed voices behind us caught my attention. "Just do it," one voice said.

"No, you do it," another responded, piquing my curiosity. I turned around to see Kimi and Lorenzo engaged in a playful argument, with Paul on the side, thoroughly amused.

Ollie called back to them, "You guys good?"

"Yeah, um..." Kimi trailed off after meeting my gaze, glancing down at the floor, and Lorenzo rolled his eyes.

"Kimi and I are going to the beach tomorrow and then to one of my favorite restaurants. We were wondering if you guys wanted to join us," Lorenzo asked. I turned to Ollie, exchanging a questioning look, and he shrugged with an agreeable nod.

"Yeah, that sounds great," Ollie replied for both of us, and a smile spread across the faces of the two boys.

"Okay, we'll pick you up then. Send us your address," Lorenzo instructed before Ollie nodded in agreement. With that, we waved our goodbyes and turned to walk away.

Ollie couldn't help but comment, "Both you and Kimi are so shy sometimes it's actually annoying," as we strolled away from the boat.

I shot him an annoyed look and teased, "Had any more thoughts on Florence? She replied to your comment on my post, you know. But you saw that, didn't you? I bet you've been thinking about it all afternoon."

"Never hit a girl, never hit a girl," Ollie muttered to himself, and I couldn't help but laugh. I swung my arm around his back, leaning into his side as his arm instinctively wrapped around my shoulders.

We walked away from the dock, heading towards the nearby café, our favorite spot to unwind after a day on the water. The sun was beginning its descent, casting a warm, golden glow over the picturesque coastal town we were visiting. It was one of those perfect summer days that seemed to stretch out endlessly.

Ollie and I both took sips of our hot chocolates, not minding the warm drink even though it was summer.

"Pup, please tell me what she said to you." I spoke suddenly, breaking the peaceful silence that him and I were sharing. Ollie turned his head to look at me with a soft expression on his face, a sigh escaping his mouth.

"It's complicated, bee," Ollie replied. Usually, I would leave it at that and change the subject, but this time I pressed further, I didn't even really know why.

"No, Ollie, it's not that complicated; you just don't want to talk about it," I said, and his expression changed.

"You're right, Y/n. I don't want to talk about it because if I do, then I'll start feeling those feelings again, the same ones that distracted me from driving. If I push it aside, then I won't miss..."

"Her. You don't want to miss her," I finished for him, but he didn't look up. "Ollie, I get it, but feelings or not, she was still your friend. She was always there for you, and you blaming it on the things she said when you told her you would be leaving for God knows how long, that's prickly of you, and you know it. I didn't become friends with a prick, Ollie Bearman."

At this, he looked up. I saw a faint glossy cover upon his eyes that he attempted to swallow. He gave me a smile that made me feel at ease, knowing he didn't take my words the wrong way.

"I'll call her after the trip," he concluded, and a wide smile spread across my lips.

"I should become a psychologist," I said confidently, and Ollie laughed.

"Bee, you'd start telling your patients that they're stupid."

As we continued our talk in the café, I couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment. The sun, now casting.