A GIRL LIKE YOU

12

Ansh and I left Aarav's place almost an hour ago when the delivery guy arrived. Ansh's place is nice with so many pictures of his and his parents and his little sister. It was bigger and felt more like...home? I don't know. I could be biased.
We sat at the couch and ate in peace while watching some movie I'm not paying attention to. Because I'm awfully aware of Ansh's presence beside me. I offered to help him in the kitchen but he refused.
He came back and sat with me. I looked down at my phone to see that its been more than an hour since Aarav left. Ansh seem to notice it.
"Hey did you read the latest book by Colleen Hoover?" His question took me by surprise.
"You read book by Colleen Hoover?"
"Yeah. I really like how her every book has some kind of theme. Like Slammed had poetry, and Confess had paintings and confessions."
"I love Colleen Hoover. She is one of my favourite authors." I all but shouted, because meeting someone who share your interest is really satisfying.
"I figured that much."
"Really?"
"Yeah. The other day you said that how you like New Adult and Romance genre more than any other genre. Colleen hoover is like the queen of New Adult."
I am seriously falling in love with Ansh. I Really Am! He is talking my language. He talking nerd. Oh my god! Theres nothing sexier than a guy who knows what he is talking about.
I tried to hide my excitement. I don't want him to think that I'm a nutcase. I rrally am sometimes. But he doesn't have to know that.
"Thanks for paying that much attention. And to answer your earlier question, no I haven't had a chance to read the latest one. I'm like all kinds of busy with the wedding and job and stuff."
"I get that."
"Do you have it?"
"Yeah. Its in my bedroom. Hey why don't you come and check out my shelf? You could give me some real good recommendations."
HE HAS A BOOKSHELF! HE IS INVITING ME TO HIS BEDROOM! HE IS ASKING FOR MY EXPERTISE!!!
Can I just jump and do a happy dance? No you can't!
"Yeah sure." I smiled politely. You have no idea Ansh, how excited I am to be in your bedroom. He offered me his hand and I took it. It felt good. Really good. He led me to the room and turned the lights on.
The room was well lit and big. It has a bed and shelf with cupboards and study table attached to it. He has a few plants on the side of the window and a few pictures on the wall with a duffel bad on the far corner of the room. It is clean and it smells gold.
"Here." He gestured towards the book shelf and then he flipped a switch and the whole shelf lit up. So pretty!
I eyed his books and touched their spines. I've read most of them. Wait! All of them.
We talked about some books and I recommended him some as we both sat down at his bed.
"You are a real bookworm." He mentioned the obvious.
"That I am. But to be honest, I've never met a guy in my entire life who reads." I said.
"Me either." He said and we both laughed.
"So what are you, Alien?" I asked.
"I wish. But no. I get this book fever from my mom. She used to be a english teacher so she spent most of the time reading. And as I was growing up she would hand over different books to me and my sister. She kept saying we should me knowledgable."
"Wow. She sounds like fun."
"Oh she is fun alright. At first I used to get so annoyed. And we'd have arguments. Mom said this would keep me away from troubles. I even faked a few times that I read a book and just read the summary of it on the internet. But mom would always find out."
I can't help but laugh at that. Nobody as a kid wants to read. We are burdened as it is with the school work.
"But then it kind of became a habit for me. I don't know I started enjoying it. I'll always have an hour reserved for the book reading. And to be honest, I learnt so many things."
"I bet."
"Yeah. It was the way mom bought us up. Like she wouldn't talk to us directly whenever there's a situation, instead she would give us a book with kind of a same situation and tell us to find our own way. You have no idea how many books she gave me, about teenage pregnancy and drugs and bullying in my early teenage."
"Thats so nice." I huffed and felt comfortable enough to just collapse on his bed. I just threw myself on my back and sighed. The mattress is nice.
He smiled and laid beside as we looked at the ceiling.
"What about you? Where did you get the book fever from?"
I don't want to give him the standard answer that I gave everyone. 'I've always been like this'. No because that's not true.
"I never did reading for entertainment. Only because I had to for school." I sqid and turn on my side to look at him. He was already staring. "I had a wild teenage."
I don't know why I just confessed it.
"Really?" He said likehe doesn't believe me. Of course he doesn't. I'm not that girl anymore.
"Yeah. It was out of control situation. Anyways, when I was 17 I got a wake up call. And decided to quit everything I've been doing." I don't wanna think about it. "So, I decided to start reading because I'd have a lot of free time. It just helped me escape the reality which was boring and disappointing. It kind of become a habit then a addiction and then my passion. Thats it." I said and finally looked him in the eye.
He is looking at me like he sees something. Like he sees me. The real me. The girl I was all those years ago. The girl I've become at the same time.
I find myself breathing hard under his scrutiny. His hand came out of nowhere when he put a strand of my hair behind my ear and my breath hitched. I think he noticed because he moved a little closer.
Is he going to kiss me? The room fell silent and all I could here is the sound of my heartbeat. He swallowed visibly as his adams apple bobbed. I looked at his beautiful full lips. I licked my own lips and looked him in the eyed again. He has moved a little closer.
He is going to kiss me. Oh my god! Do I have a bad breath? Shit. I can't do this. I am engaged to his best friend.
"Kiara..." He whispered my name as his lips brushed mine. We share the same breath our nose almost touching. I breathed him in and closed my eyes.

...