Imperfect Desires

342 The Kiss

Dylan didn't know what happened and why she was so eager to leave but he didn't feel good about it. It almost felt like he was being abandoned.

He ran after her to catch up to her as he asked, "Why are you running away from me? I came to see you after so many days."

"It's only been four days," said Cali as if it wasn't a big deal at all.

"You must have had a lot of fun since four days doesn't seem much to you," he sounded bitter which he didn't intend though.

"Are you sulking?" Dylan didn't reply and she took that as a silent agreement. "But why?"

"You..." his words and voice both died down as she looked at him waiting for him to continue. "You took the drink from that guy earlier."

Cali frowned at his words. "So what?" Even though she did no such thing, she wanted to know why he was getting mad about it. She was brooding because he seemed to know even his best friend's girlfriend better than he knows about her who had been around for years. It really got her mad how he never even thought she was important enough to learn anything about her.

She had just opened the door of her room when she heard him speak from behind, "Oh... Then you should have gone out with him."

She turned around to look at his face with a very annoyed look as she spat, "Maybe I should!"

Dylan clenched his fists tightly, "You're really getting on my nerve now!"

"It's not the first time," answered Cali with a mocking smile which was directed to herself. "You always find me annoying. Isn't that why you always ignored me?"

"I never said I find you annoying. You're always creating troubles that's why I might have kept my distance but never ignored you on purpose," Dylan didn't know why he was trying to defend himself but he didn't like it when she said that.

"Just for your information, I still love creating troubles," said Cali. "So, you should be keeping your distance even now."

"What if I don't want to?" challenged Dylan as he stepped closer to her.

"Why not? I didn't change at all. If you didn't like me back then you shouldn't be liking me now as well."

"I never said I don't like you."

"But you never said you like me either."

"Argh! Why are you confusing me so much? You should know it that I like you..." Cali was stunned staring at him dumbfounded but he popped the bubble she was in with his next words. "Why else we'd be friends if I didn't even like you?"

Cali took a deep breath. I'm the idiot here for thinking too much. No, no. For hoping something from a jerk like you! She didn't know what came over her perhaps it was the alcohol taking effect but without knowing the answer, she picked up a cushion and threw it at his face hitting him squarely. "You're an idiot!" she threw her blazer somewhere on the floor while rambling to herself but Dylan only caught one part of it, "Why do you never understand?!"

One of the things Cali hated about herself was how she wasn't really good with words. She often came off as rude or offensive to people. So, explaining or showing her feelings was really not her cup of tea. She had always been surrounded by men who treated her like one of them. That was the reason that she was really bad at expressing. Boys tend to keep their pain hidden to show how macho they are and she had become one like that.

But she had to fall for a dummy who needed words to hear. He wouldn't know unless she said something. There was no way he was gonna know anything on his own. It wouldn't be wrong to say that Dylan was a complete opposite of her. And yet, she was in love with this dummy!

Dylan held her arm to turn her around to face him as he whispered, "Then why don't you try making me understand?"

Cali placed her hand on the side of his face catching Dylan off guard. He was surprised and ended up flinching. Cali's face fell as she was about to drop her hand down, he held it back on his face.

"I hate to admit it but I am slow. I really can't understand anything."

Cali looked into his black orbs as she leaned her forehead against his whispering, "Is it that difficult to see in my eyes how much I am in love with you?" Dylan's eyes widened. "Why is it that you never see? Or maybe you don't even want to see? I know I'm not your type. I'm not gentle, sweet, cute, or caring kind but... I still love you."

With a sigh when she was about to move back, his arm instinctively went around her waist to hold her in that position. He liked that position. Her forehead against him, her hand on the back of his head while her fingers brushed softly through his hair. Moreover, he loved seeing her eyes so close. Because at this position, the only thing he saw in those eyes was a reflection. His reflection that she seemed to adore.

Would it be weird if he said that he actually could read her feelings in those eyes for the first time? Would it be even weirder if he said that he was losing himself in that moment? Or was it, even more, weirder that his heartbeat was jumping up and down wildly?

His next move was purely based on his feelings. Feelings that felt right. He didn't even allow his mind to talk him out of it before he bent down to capture her lips with his. This time it was Cali who was taken aback. Just mere touch of his soft lips against hers was enough to brew a storm beneath her skin. She could hear her heart pounding loudly but she didn't care. Maybe she was too drunk, maybe she was just in a dream. Whichever it was she was gonna have the best of this moment. With that thought in mind, she let both her hands to run amok in his hair.

Dylan could taste the alcohol on her but he didn't mind. Because whether it was the alcohol he could taste or his own feelings, it was certain that he was feeling intoxicated now. It wasn't on impulse at least that's what he believed. He had been yearning to hold her from the moment Xiu had sent him the photos. He didn't know why he always lost his courage before her but if he could, he would love to push her against the wall in that very bar to claim her lips along with claiming hers as his before all those people who eyed her.

But the keyword was, 'if'.

Dylan would have never taken this step if she didn't say that she loves him. It was something that came to him as a surprise. Why? Because as Cali had said, she had been surrounded by men all her life. And each one of them was worthy of admiration. Dylan would have never even imagined that someone like him caught her eye. After all, every person around her was like the protagonist of a movie or something. Because every friend of hers was strong, macho, intimidating, reliable, and domineering.

Dylan wasn't like that. He was a carefree soul who was jubilant and who loved to just play his way through life. And he hated responsibilities that's why he was called unreliable most of the time. But someone should really tell him why this girl who could even take him down in a fight was actually in love with him?

Dylan would have doubted her words if he couldn't feel her emotions through the kiss they shared. The kiss he so didn't want to pull away from...