Answer Me

Chapter 14

Since the day he sneaked into my room, Riley and I had not met each other yet. The band was busy rehearsing and I also decided to let the boys spent more time with their family and friends. They deserved a life as normal people, not some pop stars with tight schedule. Anyhow, the boys had done so much to us, the fans including staying up all night to make new music. That was why the whole fandom was so thankful to have them.

It was a day before they went to LA so, Riley texted me to meet at the Starbucks. I put on a black long-sleeve T-shirt with Pierce The Veil logo on it. Ann didn't ask where I was going instead, she only said "Have fun." while posing in front of the mirror with her brand new skirt and shirt. I had always felt bad for Riley since he had to drive quite far to reach my campus but when I told him that before, he just hushed me loudly and said "What are friends for?" So much for all the flirtations he did to me before. Glad that I didn't put too much hope on him.

"Hey," he greeted me with his dorky way. I smiled as I climbed in his car. "That T-shirt though. That is quite a big difference knowing the fact that you're one of our big fans."

"My taste is not singular."

"Okay then. Off we go." He hit the accelerator and drove out of the campus.

The Starbucks was quite empty today. Apart from us, there were only a young couple by the window seat and a man in suit and loose tie at the very corner of the place. We sat at the other corner. Riley started to talk about the upcoming summer tour and The Vamps. Live update, advanced than the other girls. I liked it. Pros of being a best friend of a guy in a band.

"You know how stoked am I knowing that you will go for a song-writing session?"

"Wait, why? Don't you feel afraid that you'll miss me?" He wondered.

"Riley, I'm a fan of Before You Exit. I hold the title as Exiter. For God's sake, I - we want new music. C'mon, it's 2015 and that marks two years since I Like That. Of course, I'm stoked because that's a sign of new album."

"You forgot Dangerous and Heart Like California."

"New album, please?" I begged, crossing my fingers at him. He giggled when I did that.

"Soon." Riley answered simply.

"Define 'soon' from the Before You Exit dictionary." I narrowed my eyes at him. He shrugged.

"You know you look more beautiful when you're being sarcastic. I like that. Pun intended." I couldn't read his expression as he said that. I couldn't tell whether that was spontaneous and meant nothing or it did come from his thought.

"Don't change the topic, McTease." I muttered.

"No, I mean it. You look beautiful." I had had enough.

"I'm not beautiful."

Those words that came out from her thin lips sent a pang of ache to my chest. I hated it when she felt that way about herself. Didn't she realize what an angel she was, divine and gracious? Didn't she know what her smile as they landed on me could do to me? Didn't she have the idea that being beside her all the time would be my only wish if I met a genie in a lamp?

She looked down, staring at her fidgeting fingers. I was speechless. It frustrated me a lot for not being able to say words that can fight away her insecurities. It hurt me so much for not being able to convince her that she was wrong.

I pushed away the coffee in front of me. I rose from the chair and leaned across the table. Our faces were less than a few inches away and I liked the distance. Close enough to indulge my mind with her beauty. But not close enough for me to reach her heart and tell her that she was beautiful, to tell her that her imperfections were nothing at all.

My fingers wandered all over her face, feeling the texture of her skin although she thought that those blackheads and zits were hideous, tracing the arch of her eyebrows, passing over the closed lids of her big shiny brown eyes, caressing her blush-colored lips, cherishing the art on her face until my fingers stopped under her chin. I lifted her face a bit so when she opened her eyes, I could sink into the two pools of my own version of tranquility.

Then, I murmured when our lips were barely away. "You are the most divine creature of God and I want to make this masterpiece in my hand mine."

She was about to deny it when I stopped her with a deep, long kiss.

The kiss was something that I had never imagined. I kissed him back, deepening the kiss. This was wrong but, I didn't care about it anymore. I closed my eyes with hope that when I opened it, I could confirm that I wasn't dreaming. Riley's hand was on the side of my face, securing. I didn't know how long the kiss lasted but when we pulled away, both of us were breathing hard.

Our breaths were on each other's face when our forehead met. I didn't open my eyes yet but all that I could manage to say was "That changes things."

He grinned then bit his lower lip. Gosh, he looked so hot doing that from this angle, this close. "I love you, Erin. I love you. And your face. And your looks. And your heart. And your brain. And everything. Everything about you got me," he whispered before pulling away back to his seat.

I touched my lips with my fingertips, longing the lingering of the closure between it and Riley's just now. Riley loved me for who I was. Riley loved me no matter how did I look like. Riley loved me for me. I had never felt this way about myself and he showed me how it felt like to love such imperfections.

"Are you okay? Are you mad?" He asked, panic settled in his tone. He was afraid that I might be mad at him for the kiss. I shook my head, still dumbfounded and shocked.

"No, Riley. It's okay. I - I..." I took a long, deep breath before finishing my words. "...love you too."

He flashed the brightest smile as I said the words.

The sun had set when we arrived my hostel. The night had stolen all the colors away. Riley and I were embracing each other in his car. His arms were so tight around me, my head nestled at the space under his chin. I inhaled and exhaled steadily but at the same time, I was just enjoying the scent of his perfume. I felt like I was home in his embrace. He made me whole.

He planted his lips in my hair before he tilted his head lower so, his lips would be at my ear. As he exhaled, it tickled and made me twitched. He apologized slowly. His finger brushed the curls at my ears. I could feel his lips at my ear if he started talking.

"I need you to hear this," he whispered.

"What is it? I'm all ears." I said, snuggling deeper in his arms. I was glad that our black outfits and the darkness blended well so, no one would see me cuddling with Riley.

"From now on, I forbid you from hating you which is a vain feeling you can't have. You're perfect. So, what's left to hate when there's nothing to hate? You are a wondrous creature and it will be such a shame to hate a creation like you. Promise me not to hate yourself anymore?" He backed away and held out his pinky finger.

I dithered whether to link it with mine or not. However, from what had happened today, I finally saw that there were always people who didn't see me like how I saw myself. I finally realized that I was beautiful too. I finally knew that there was a guy who loved me for who I was.

I grinned and knotted my pinky finger with his. His lips mirrored my grin.

"I promise."

The night ended with the feel of his lips on my forehead lingering in my head until I sailed into my dreamland accompanied by soft pillows and warm blanket.