Folding For You

Chapter 5: Sabrina

After leaving Wings & Fries, we strolled along the rows of shops; the evening air was calm and quiet, but my mind was anything but. I kept stealing glances at Killian, my heart thudding hard.

Eventually, Killian caught on. He turned his head slightly, eyes gleaming in the fading light, a hint of a curious smile on his lips.

"What is it?" he asked, his voice smooth but with a hint of that low, commanding tone that made me hang onto every word. "You've been looking at me like you have a question."

I hesitated, swallowing hard, before finally yelling, "How does a date with Killian look?"

For a moment, he didn't answer. He kept walking, his hands in his pockets, his gaze steady on the path ahead. But that smile—mysterious, almost teasing—played at the edges of his lips.

It made something snap inside me like I couldn't hold it in any longer. I reached out and stopped him, my hand reached out to claim his.

"Killian," I started, my voice shaky but determined. "You drive me crazy. I like you."

My words came out in a rush, faster than I could control. "And I want to be the only person you date. I was hoping you could ask me to be your girl one day, today, or whenever it is convenient. I just—"

I took a deep breath, feeling the emotions bubbling up inside me, threatening to spill over. "I don't want to hope for all this if you're just trying me out. Do you understand me? I've been broken-hearted before."

Tears started pooling in my eyes before I could stop them, and I wouldn't say I liked it; I hated how vulnerable I felt at that moment. But I couldn't stop.

"This is me," I said, my voice breaking. "Bravely coming out of my shell after so long. Because this—" I gestured between us, trying to put the intensity of what I was feeling into words. "This feeling I have for you is something I've never felt. I'm making my leap here, so don't play me, Killian. I just—"

My voice cracked, and before I knew it, I was crying. I had no idea where the tears came from or why my heart was bursting at the seams. It couldn't be love. It was too soon for that, right? Maybe it was some kind of intense infatuation, like a galaxy far away from anything I'd ever known. I had no idea. All I knew was that I couldn't hold it back any longer.

"Dimples," he started, his face voice low, almost strained, like he was forcing the words out. He paused, his jaw tightening as if trying to keep something in check. "You think this is easy for me? You think I haven't been fighting this since we met?"

I blinked up at him, stunned by the rawness in his tone and the edge of frustration in his voice. He wasn't playing it cool anymore, not with that look in his eyes—dark, intense like he was battling something inside himself.

"You drive me insane," he said, his voice rough, almost like it hurt him to admit it. "Every time I thought about you, I feel like I'm losing control. I've spent my entire life controlling my company, decisions, and everything. But you," he shook his head, as if the very thought of me unravelled him, "You come into my life, and suddenly nothing makes sense."

He let out a harsh breath, his fingers still gripping my shoulders, his eyes searching mine like he was trying to find something—maybe an answer to the chaos we were both feeling.

"I've never felt like this before," he said, his voice low and frustrated. "Not for anyone. I don't know what this is, Dimples, but it's messing with me. I can't focus. I can't think. All I know is that I'm drawn to you in a way I don't understand."

My heart clenched in my chest at his words. He now lets me see the other side of him—so open, so conflicted, and it made me realise that whatever I was feeling, he was feeling it, too. And that was terrifying for Killian, the man who was always so sure of everything.

His grip on me softened, but he didn't let go. "That night at the bar, folding origami—" he broke off, shaking his head again as if the memory frustrated him. "It shouldn't have happened. That's not who I am. I don't sit in bars folding paper flowers with women but with you..." He trailed off, and I could see the tension in his jaw, the way his eyes darkened. "Ever since that night, you've been in my head, and I can't get you out."

He ran a hand through his hair, the gesture almost frantic, like he was on the edge of something he couldn't control. "I didn't know how to deal with this. So yeah, I gambled on today. Maybe if I spent more time with you and saw more of your life, I could figure out how to get a handle on this... on us."

He laughed, but it was dark, humourless. "But all it's done is make it worse. I miss you when you're not around. It's driving me crazy. I've never felt like this before, and I don't know how to handle it."

He stopped, taking a deep breath, his eyes locking onto mine with that same intensity that made my pulse race. "This isn't just some fling for me, Dimples. Do you think I'm playing you? I'm not. I wouldn't be standing here, telling you this if I didn't mean it."

His voice softened, slowly cupping my cheeks before gently wiping the tears away. "But you need to understand something. I don't know how to do this. I've never been... in this, whatever this is. And it's tearing me apart."

"You terrify me, Dimples," he whispered, his voice rough, almost broken. "Because what I feel for you is something I can't control. And that scares the hell out of me."

My breath caught in my throat as I stared up at him, his words hitting me like a wave. This wasn't just difficult for him—it was excruciating.

"I've spent my life avoiding this," he continued his hand still on my face and his thumb tracing the curve of my cheek. "Avoiding feelings and relationships because they don't fit into my world. But with you... nothing fits anymore. Nothing makes sense except this, except you."

He took a deep breath, his voice dropping even lower, almost like a plea. "So no, Dimples, I'm not playing you. I don't know what this is, but I'm not letting it slip away. And I don't know what happens next, but I want to figure it out. With you."

The weight of his words hung between us, thick and heavy, and I felt the last of my doubts dissolve. This was absolute—messy, complicated, and terrifying—but it felt natural for both of us.

And I knew, in that moment, that we would face it together whatever came next.