Blooming Iris | ✓

-Blooming Iris Chapter 21-

Iris' POV~

"Iris!" he shouted at me. "Why are you running away?" Richard asked, grabbing my hand, spinning me around.

I met his blue eyes, shinning with confusion and hurt. 

"I-I just need to go to the bathroom!" I said quickly, coming up with a quick lie. Hopefully Richard believed me. 

"You do the know there's a bathroom inside the ballroom right?" Okay... guess he doesn't.

"Um...no." I avoided eye contact, knowing that if I met his blue eyes once again, he would figure me out.

"Iris, what's the real reason you're running away from me?" he asked sighing quietly. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Of course not!" I shouted at him. I snapped my head up at him, facing him dead on. "It's just that...um-"

"What?" he asked cutting me off. 

Well I guess there's no use in lying now. "Your present," I mumbled under my breath.

"What about my present?" he asked confusion lacing his voice.  

"Um, you know the boat you got?" I asked, still staring down at the ground. 

Wow, since when was Richard wearing dress shoes? They were a pretty black color, shiny too. Maybe I should ask Richard where he got those, but they look pretty-

"Yes?" he asked, his voice snapping me out of my trance.

Wait where was I? Oh yeah! The present thing. "Why weren't you happy that you got a present like that?" I asked. 

"Iris," he said taking my hand. I looked down at our hands laced together. His hands fitted nicely in mine. Warm and soft. "That boat and the other presents meant nothing to me. Sure they're nice and all, but I can just buy another one myself if I wanted."

So that's why he wasn't happy when he got them? "Well if you don't like those gifts, what makes my gift any different?" 

"Is that why you ran away from me Iris?" he asked.

"Well...yeah."

"Iris, I will love any gift you give me - even a pencil; I'll treasure it, promise."

"Really?" I asked eyes going wide. Why would Richard say that? A pencil really? He would be happy if I gave him a pencil?

"Yes." He chuckled. "So please can I have it now?"

Well I guess if he really wants it that badly. "Okay." I nodded. "It's up in my room."

"Okay." He smiled, pulling me along. "We can go get it together."

"Sure." 

When we finally reached my room, I told Richard to wait by the door, while I go get his gift. He nodded, as I made my way across the room. When I got in front of my desk, I opened the middle desk drawer, and took out Richard's wrapped gift. Skipping back over to Richard, I stopped in front of him.

"Here," I said, placing the present in his hand. "I really hope you like it," I said shyly, staring down at his dress shoes again.

Suddenly I felt a warm finger connecting with my chin. It held me in place as it moved my chin up. My eyes made connect with Richard's face.

His warm breath tickled my senses as he breathed his next words. "I'll like anything you give me Iris."

I smiled, feeling my cheeks reddened. God, he was a little too close for comfort. I could even smell his cologne, and his minty breath whenever he talked or breathed.