MY AVERAGE LIFE

Part 46

Shivani Pov:

I didn't want to hurt Swathi more than she already is. Going back to him is the worst idea she could have, but I know saying anything to her is pointless. And I know exactly what Sharath's doing—he's rubbing salt in her wounds. He's seriously desperate to marry me and now i think i would love to marry him.

"Why are you so desperate for her?" Swathi asks, clearly irritated.

"Enough," I say, hoping to end the conversation.

"Why's everyone dying to marry you, huh? Akhil? Mani? And now your boss? What kind of spell are you casting on them? Tell us too!" she snaps.

Sharath immediately jumps in. "Because she's Shivani. And you can tell those other guys to stop thinking about marrying her, or I'll bury them along with their thoughts."

"Sharath, stop," I try to cut in, but Swathi interrupts.

"Did she say she'll marry you? No, right? Don't get your hopes up. She could break up with you anytime," Swathi says, pointing at me.

I glance at Jyothi, wondering how I ended up with friends like this—one accusing me over some guy and the other sitting there like nothing's happening.

"What I'm saying is true. She might've been single for six years, but before that, she broke up with him because she didn't like him. Her relationships don't mean anything—just like yours," Swathi spits out.

"Shut up, Swathi," I say, unable to take it anymore.

"I trust you, baby," Sharath says, holding my hand. No matter how much I don't want to fight with them, I can't let the only person standing up for me get insulted.

"You've got a problem with me, fine, say whatever you want. But don't you dare talk about him," I fire back.

"You've given him more importance than us. You said friends come before boyfriends," Jyothi says.

"All she does is lie," Swathi adds.

"Yes, he's more important than someone who I thought was a friend, but secretly hated me because her crush liked me. You've been talking trash about me in front of him, and don't pretend you haven't, he texted me everything, I read the messages and blocked him. I know what lies you've spread to Akhil, and Jyothi, you just sit quietly even when you know the truth. You never take sides; you just want your own comfort. And don't even compare yourself to him—he's sitting here, standing up for me, listening to your lies, and still saying he trusts me without knowing if it's true or not. I'd choose him over you, every single time. I thought I'd at least go to your engagement, Jyothi, but we're done. And yes, I will marry Sharath, and you guys aren't invited," I say, dragging Sharath out of the café.

As soon as we're outside, I hug him tightly. He hugs me back, whispering, "You did good, baby. Let's go home."

We get back to my apartment, and it's already 8 PM. We're still sitting in his car, parked outside.

"Sharath, I..."

"We can talk tomorrow. Aren't you tired?"

"No, I want to tell you now."

"Okay."

"Look, I had my first love in 10th grade, but after three months, he said he wanted to break up with me because he didn't love me. After that, I didn't want to be in a relationship. Then, in my second year of college, a guy I barely knew sent me a request on Facebook, and my friend accepted it. He'd liked me since first year, so I thought I should give him a chance, but I couldn't fall for him, so I broke up with him. In my first year of B.Tech, Swathi set me up on Tinder—probably because of the lies she told Akhil. I went on two dates, but I knew it wasn't going to work, so I ended it before it even started."

Sharath looks at me, really paying attention. "Sharath?"

"Who's Mani?"

"The Tinder guy. He thought we'd work out and even asked me to marry him, but I said no."

"Good. Because I wouldn't tolerate it."

"We're good now, right?" I ask, gently stroking his cheek.

"No."

I frown. "Then?"

"Were you serious when you said you'd marry me?"

My cheeks heat up, and I look down, nodding shyly. Now he caresses my cheek and leans in, our lips almost touching, when he suddenly asks, "Did you kiss anyone?"

I look into his eyes, but he's still staring at my lips. "Once. That's when I realized it wasn't going to work."

"So, we should kiss too, to make sure," he says, smiling.

I laugh softly. "No need. I already know I'm comfortable with you. I realized it the first time I broke down in front of you."

"But I still want to kiss you," he says, almost desperately.

"You can," I whisper. As soon as I say it, he presses his lips to mine, soft at first, but then he starts moving, and I close my eyes, enjoying the moment. Suddenly, he bites my lip.

"Ow!"

"Kiss me back," he demands.

"Huh?"

"Kiss me back, baby."

"But I don't know how..."

He looks surprised. "You've never kissed back?"

"No... he just kissed me, and I stayed still."

Sharath grabs my hair, not too harshly, but firm enough to make me look up. "I don't care about your past, but from now on, you're mine. You're only allowed to think about me. And don't talk about kisses when you didn't even return, okay?"

I nod. Damn, he looks hot when he's mad. He leans in again, his breath tickling my lips, giving me goosebumps. "Now, kiss me back. Copy what I do. This is how a kiss should be," he says sensually.

I nod again, and this time, when his lips touch mine, I try to follow his lead, but I can't match his intensity, so I surrender. He didn't just kiss me—he devoured me like in the book's description. I never knew a kiss could feel like this. Sharath was right—he really is my first kiss. I let him kiss me how he wants, but soon I'm out of breath. I don't want to stop, but I can't take it anymore, so I tap his shoulder. He keeps going for a few more seconds before finally letting go, biting my lower lip as he does. I'm gasping for air while he stares at me like he's ready to go again. His eyes wander from my lips to my chest.

"Pervet," I say, hitting his chest.

"It's not fair, baby. You call me a pervert for staring, but here you are, hitting my chest."

I quickly pull my hands away and cover my cheeks. "Shameless."

"So, how was the kiss?" he teases.

I move my hands to cover my eyes. "It felt like my first kiss," I mumble, then bolt out of the car and run to my apartment. I can hear him laughing behind me, and I run even faster, embarrassed.

Once I'm inside, I text him: "Thanks for everything. 😊"

He replies immediately: "Good night, baby. Dream about our first kiss 😘. I'll pick you up tomorrow.😉"