A fate for love

Chapter 28: Drunken Kiss

An: Special update today! Keep reading! <3 

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Kevin had been standing near the campfire, keeping his distance but still within earshot. He hadn't planned on joining the game, but curiosity got the better of him when he noticed Elina sitting with the group. He watched from the shadows, his eyes focused on her as they laughed and passed drinks around.

When the question came—about how she'd react if someone misunderstood her—Kevin leaned in a little closer, listening intently. Her response hit him harder than he expected.

"If someone misunderstood me, it wouldn't hurt as much. It's fine to misunderstand; we all make mistakes like that. But not confronting me, not asking me about it... that would hurt me to the core. It would mean they never knew me to begin with."

Her words echoed in his mind, and Kevin felt a sharp pang of guilt. He thought about their past, how he'd left without confronting her, without asking what really happened. He had misunderstood her, and worse, he hadn't given her the chance to explain. Feeling the weight of her words, Kevin looked away, his heart heavy with regret. He couldn't bear to stay there any longer, so he quietly went away from there.

As the night wore on, Kevin stood outside the camp, his phone pressed to his ear as he handled a business call, trying to focus on anything but the guilt gnawing at him. His back was to the path, and he didn't notice the footsteps shuffling unevenly toward him.

Elina, drunk and disoriented, had wandered in his direction. Rather than heading to her tent, she'd ended up stumbling her way toward where Kevin was standing, her steps unsteady. She hadn't noticed him during the dinner, but now, in her tipsy haze, she found herself moving closer to his presence, drawn to the safety of the familiar without realizing it.

Just as Kevin ended his call and turned, he heard the sound of someone stumbling. Before he could react, Elina crashed into him, nearly falling, but his reflexes kicked in, and he caught her tightly, steadying her in his arms.

Her head tilted up, her drunken smile wide as she blinked at him through the fog in her mind. "You're a handsome man," she giggled, her words slurring as she spoke. Without hesitation, she rested her head against his chest, completely unaware of who he was.

Kevin's heart clenched as he looked down at her, feeling the weight of everything unsaid between them. He couldn't help but smile slightly, though it was tinged with sadness. "Elina," he murmured softly, steadying her, "you're drunk."

Elina, however, just giggled again, wrapping her arms around him loosely as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "You smell nice too..." she mumbled, her voice muffled against his chest. It took everything in him not to chuckle. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"You need to go back to your tent," he said softly, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. But Elina, still drunk and carefree, simply leaned back against him, and shook her head stubbornly, clinging onto him tighter. 

"No, I want to be with you," she murmured, her voice sweet and carefree in her intoxicated state. She hugged him closer, her head resting comfortably on his chest, and then suddenly, she giggled again. 

"See? Your heart is making music!" she exclaimed, drunk but delighted.

Kevin swallowed hard, feeling his heart hammering even louder now. He had no idea how to handle this situation. Every instinct told him to protect her, to take care of her—but his own emotions were tangled in the past. Still, the sight of her so vulnerable and carefree in his arms tugged at him in ways he couldn't explain.