Bridging Hearts

17. It was... unexpected, okay?

Writer's perspective

Dante and Tara's argument had reached a fever pitch, their voices echoing off the walls of his office. It had started over something trivial-but quickly escalated into a full-blown dispute.

"I'm telling you, the modern minimalist approach is what this space needs," Dante said, his voice firm as he pointed at one of the blueprints.

Tara rolled her eyes, clearly exasperated. "And I'm telling you, Mr. Grump, that it lacks soul. We need something more vibrant, something that actually speaks to people!"

Dante let out a frustrated sigh. "Vibrant doesn't mean cluttered, Petardo. We need elegance, not chaos."

Tara's eyes flashed with annoyance. "And who made you the expert on elegance? Sometimes you need a little chaos to make something beautiful."

Dante stepped closer, his jaw clenched. "This isn't about chaos or beauty; it's about making something that works. Your ideas are all over the place."

"Oh, so now you're saying my ideas are useless?" Tara shot back, stepping closer to him, their faces inches apart.

Dante's eyes narrowed. "That's not what I said."

"But that's what you meant," Tara retorted, her voice rising. "You think you know everything just because you're Mr. Big Shot CEO." She rolled her eyes again. "Newsflash: you're not as great as you think you are."

Dante felt a surge of anger at her words, but he kept it in check. He took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "Petar-"

"No, don't try to placate me with some empty apology," she cut him off. "I've heard enough of your condescending remarks. I deserve better than to be talked down to."

Dante sighed. "Look, Petardo, we can work this out."

"Whatever," she muttered, turning away from him.

Dante felt his temper flare again at her dismissive tone, and before he knew what he was doing, he had grabbed her by the neck and pulled her closer, his lips meeting hers in a hard kiss.

Tara froze for a moment, then melted into him, her arms wrapping around his neck as she returned the kiss. Their tongues clashed, their breathing heavy, their bodies pressed against each other. It was a wild, intense kiss, full of passion and tension.

They broke apart, gasping for air, their eyes closed on each other, foreheads attached with each other. For a moment, neither of them moved or spoke, the only sound being their labored breathing.

Then, without thinking, Dante pulled Tara closer again and kissed her once more.

This time, their kiss was slower, more tender, but just as intense. Their tongues danced together, their lips moving in perfect sync. They were lost in the kiss, the world around them fading away.

When they finally broke apart, both were breathing heavily. Tara stared at Dante, her mind racing. She should be furious, she should slap him, but all she could think about was how right it had felt, how much she had wanted this without even knowing it.

Dante's expression mirrored her confusion. "I... I didn't mean to..."

Tara took a step back, shaking her head slightly. "No, you didn't. But maybe... maybe it's what we both needed."

Dante ran a hand through his hair, looking as if he was struggling to find the right words. "Petardo, I..."

"Don't," she interrupted softly, gathering her things. "I will t-talk to y-you later, Dante."

Her

I needed a break. I needed to breathe. I felt like I was about to implode with nerves. I quickly gathered my things and made a beeline for the washroom, my heart pounding in my chest like a drum solo.

Once inside, I splashed cold water on my face, hoping it would shock me back to reality. I pinched my cheeks, trying to feel something other than the overwhelming mix of excitement and anxiety. None of it was working. I couldn't stop thinking about how awkward I had been and how incredibly wrong this was-this wasn't how I was supposed to act.

What was I supposed to do now? How was I supposed to act around Dante after everything that had happened?

Without a second thought, I pulled out my phone and dialed Urvi's number. She was the only person who could talk me off this ledge.

As the call connected, Urvi's voice came through, loud and slightly irate. "Tara! Oh my God, where have you been? Do you even know how lonely it's been here without you? You haven't called me in a month. A whole month! I've been practically talking to myself!"

I tried to interrupt, but she was on a roll. "And guess what? It's been so quiet around here. I'm surrounded by silence. My cat's giving me the cold shoulder. You're the only one who gets me, and now you're just... MIA! So, tell me, where have you been?"

Finally managing to get a word in, I said, "Urvi, listen, I don't have time for your melodrama right now. I need your help. You're not going to believe what just happened."

She was quiet for a second, then came back with a teasing tone. "Oh, now you want to talk? Spill it."

I took a deep breath and started recounting everything that had happened with Dante-the awkward encounters, the dance, how we almost kissed and today, we actually ended up kissing each other. I told her about the tension and the confusion I felt. With every detail, I could almost hear Urvi's eyes widening in disbelief.

"So, wait," Urvi said, her voice full of incredulity, "You're telling me you and Dante kissed? And now you're... what? Having a panic attack in the washroom?"

"Yeah," I admitted, feeling the frustration creep into my voice. "And now I don't know what to do. I feel like I'm sitting here, waiting for the floor to swallow me whole."

Urvi let out a dramatic sigh. "Okay, first of all, you need to talk to him. It's the obvious solution. You're making this way more complicated than it needs to be."

"I can't," I said, shaking my head even though she couldn't see me. "I don't want things to get awkward. It's better if I just avoid him."

"Really, Tara?" Urvi's tone was almost amused. "You're seriously going to avoid him? That's your grand plan? It's not going to make things better, you know."

"But it's the only thing I can think of right now," I insisted, my frustration evident. "If I avoid him, maybe things won't get more complicated."

Urvi paused, and then I could almost hear the smirk in her voice when she asked, "By the way, how was it? Your first-ever kiss?"

"Urvi!" I hissed, my cheeks burning at the reminder.

"What?" she teased, clearly enjoying this way too much. "Come on, Tara. Was it everything you imagined? Or was it like one of those movie scenes where the hero swoops in and takes your breath away?"

I groaned, covering my face with my free hand. "It was... unexpected, okay? I wasn't prepared for it."

Urvi laughed softly. "Unexpected but not unwelcome, right? Come on, Tara, you've been secretly crushing on Dante. Admit it."

"I'm not admitting anything," I grumbled, even though I knew she was right.

"Fine, keep your secrets. But seriously, you need to figure this out. Avoiding him isn't going to solve anything. Plus, who knows? Maybe it'll happen again." She paused before adding with a grin I could hear, "And next time, you might actually enjoy it."

As the call ended, I leaned against the washroom wall, feeling more confused than ever. Urvi's words echoed in my mind, but I still couldn't shake the feeling that avoiding Dante was the safest option. For now, at least.

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So hey Pearls, what do you think ? I was so excited to write this chapter and see all your reactions and (almost) hear your gasps. But anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and see you next chapter.

~Peace ✌🏻