Bound By Fate

Chapter 7: "Studying"

The next few days passed in a blur of schoolwork, project deadlines, and stolen moments with Kai. We didn’t talk about the night at the café, but I could feel the change. The way his eyes lingered on mine a little longer, the way our conversations had more weight, more meaning.

And then, one afternoon, Kai texted me, asking if I wanted to come over again to finish up our project. I hesitated, my heart racing at the thought of being alone with him again. But I agreed, knowing that something between us was inevitable.

When I arrived at his apartment, the familiar warmth of the place greeted me. Kai opened the door, grinning as he let me in.

“Glad you could make it,” he said, closing the door behind me. “We’ve got a lot to cover.”

I nodded, trying to ignore the nervous flutter in my stomach. “Yeah, let’s get to it.”

We worked for a while, the usual back-and-forth conversation flowing easily. But as the evening wore on, I could feel the tension between us growing. The unspoken thing that had been simmering for weeks was finally coming to the surface.

At some point, Kai set his notebook aside and leaned back, watching me with an intensity that made my breath catch.

“Lina,” he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. “Can I ask you something?”

I swallowed hard, meeting his gaze. “Yeah?”

He hesitated for a moment, as if unsure of what to say next. But then he leaned in closer, his eyes never leaving mine. “I don’t want to make things weird, but… do you feel it too? This… thing between us?”

My heart pounded in my chest, the words catching me off guard. I had spent so long trying to ignore it, to push it away, but now that it was out in the open, I couldn’t deny it anymore.

“Yeah,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “I feel it.”

Kai’s gaze softened, and he reached out, gently brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. The simple touch sent a jolt of electricity through me, and I shivered, my pulse racing.

“I’ve been trying to play it cool,” he admitted, his voice low. “But I can’t stop thinking about you, Lina. I don’t know what it is, but… you’re different. In a good way.”

I didn’t know what to say, the flood of emotions overwhelming me. All I knew was that I wanted to be closer to him, to feel his warmth, his presence.

Before I could second-guess myself, I leaned in, closing the space between us. Kai’s breath hitched as our lips met, the kiss slow and tentative at first, like we were both testing the waters. But then it deepened, and suddenly, all the tension that had been building between us exploded.

His hands slid to my waist, pulling me closer as the kiss grew more urgent, more intense. My heart raced as I tangled my fingers in his hair, losing myself in the moment, in him.

When we finally pulled away, both of us were breathless, our foreheads resting against each other.

“This is probably a bad idea,” I murmured, my voice shaky.

Kai smiled, his eyes dark with emotion. “Yeah, probably. But I don’t care.”

Neither did I.

We stayed like that for a moment, our foreheads pressed together, catching our breath. My heart was racing, and every nerve in my body was on fire. I could feel the heat radiating off him, his hands still resting on my waist, fingers curling slightly into the fabric of my shirt.

I didn’t want to pull away, didn’t want the moment to end. But I also knew that what we were doing was dangerous—not because of what people would think, but because of the mess I could feel myself getting into.