Kiss & Tell ( Asa and Chiquita)

Chapter 6: The Brink

Asa's POV

The phone buzzes on my desk again, and I know it's her. I can feel the familiar pull of her presence, even through a simple text. Each message feels like a thread drawing me closer, a thread I can't cut, even though every part of me is screaming to run.

I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't be sitting in my office, the city lights flickering outside, the hum of my phone in my hand, wondering if she's going to send another one of her cryptic, teasing messages. But I can't stop myself.

I stare at the screen, at the words she's just sent, her playful challenge lingering in the air between us. I read it once. Twice. Three times, each time it cutting deeper into the carefully constructed walls I've spent my entire life building. I'm not ready for this, Chiquita.

But she's right. I'm not.

I grip the phone tightly, a surge of frustration and confusion flooding me. I close my eyes, trying to block out the voice inside my head that tells me I've already crossed a line. I should've ignored her after that kiss. I should've ignored her after the first message. But it's too late. The lines have blurred, and now, I don't know how to find my way back to the person I was before.

It's not just the kiss, though. It's everything that's followed. Every conversation. Every glance that lingers too long. Every moment that makes me question what's real and what's not.

I don't know who I am anymore.

The sound of my phone vibrating pulls me back to the present. I look at it, hesitant. The message preview on the screen shows her name, and I can already feel my heart racing. Why does she do this to me? Why do I let her?

I press open the message.

Chiquita:
"Let's stop pretending, Asa. We both know you want this. You've been trying to avoid it, but you can't. And I'm not going anywhere until you stop lying to yourself."

It's direct. It's bold. It's everything I never expected from her. And for a moment, I feel exposed.

I look at the message, then back at the city below. My reflection in the glass stares back at me — this woman who is strong, untouchable, a force in her own right. But in this moment, I feel like a child, fragile and lost in a world I thought I had mastered.

I don't know what to say. I don't know how to respond.

What do I want? I think back to the way she kissed me, the way it lit something inside of me that I wasn't even sure existed. It wasn't a mistake. I can't lie to myself anymore. It was too real, too raw.

But admitting that... to her... it feels like breaking every rule I've ever set for myself.

Chiquita's POV

I'm sitting in my apartment, waiting for her reply. The anticipation is almost unbearable, but I like it. I've always liked the feeling of waiting for something — a flirtation, a challenge, a chase. But this time? This time is different.

I want her to see me. The real me. Not the mask I wear when I'm out in public, not the playful, flirtatious exterior I've perfected over the years. I want her to see the part of me that's vulnerable, the part of me that's afraid this might all blow up in my face.

But then again, isn't that the beauty of it? The vulnerability? The risk?

Asa isn't just a game to me. Not anymore. She never was. And yet, it feels like I'm walking a tightrope, trying to balance between wanting her and not pushing too far.

I can feel the walls she's built around herself, and I can't decide if I want to tear them down or admire them from afar.

Her response finally comes through, and I lean forward, my heart skipping a beat when I see the words.

Asa:
"I can't do this. I can't let you in."

I read it twice. Three times. Four. The words don't sting as much as I expected, but they leave a bitter taste in my mouth. She's scared. I can feel it — the hesitance in her message, the way she's pushing me away.

But I won't let her go. Not now.

Chiquita:
"You already have, Asa. You let me in the moment you kissed me back. Don't you dare pretend you're not feeling this too."

I press send and set the phone down, letting out a long breath. I hate this feeling — the waiting, the uncertainty. But this is it. This is where the game changes.

I'm not running anymore. Not from her. Not from what's happening between us.

Asa's POV

The words hit me like a punch to the gut.

You already have, Asa. You let me in the moment you kissed me back. Don't you dare pretend you're not feeling this too.

It's true. I did let her in. I let her in when I first laid eyes on her, when her smile stopped me in my tracks. I let her in the moment our lips touched, and the world shifted. I let her in, despite every rule I've ever set, despite the way I was raised, despite the fear that it would all unravel if I allowed myself to feel.

I never realized how fragile I was, how much I had built my life on pretending, until now.

I pick up the phone again, my fingers trembling as I type my response. I don't have an answer for her. I don't have an answer for myself. But I know one thing.

I can't walk away. Not now. Not when I'm this close to something I don't even know how to name.

Asa:
"Maybe I don't want to admit it... but maybe I need you to show me what's real."

I hesitate, then hit send, watching as the message disappears into the ether, waiting for her to reply.

And just like that, I realize I've crossed a line. There's no going back.