CHAPTER 11 #3
— No — one of the corners of her mouth turned up and she bit her lip to stop herself from smiling — Does this means we can pick up where we left off last year?
They were in the middle of winter in Canada, the temperature was negative, but Rila felt like she was burning as memories of the past year flooded her mind.
But the way Kieran pressed his lips into a line and his eyes filled with disappointment made her freeze. Suddenly, she wasn't burning anymore.
— Rila, I turned eighteen in April.
— And I'll be seventeen in a week. Why are we saying obvious things? — she frowned.
— I'm legally an adult now and you're a miner, according to the law, we cannot do this — his blue eyes held hers and it was like staring into flames made of ice.
Oh, thank God. For a second she thought something serious had happened.
— Well, fuck the law, I want this — she rolled her eyes.
— Trust me, I want this too, but technically it would be a felony — she saw his hands open and close into fists, as if he were fighting himself.
Could it be that he also wanted to drown in her as much as Rila did?
— It's not like I would turn you to the police, Kieran.
Actually, for him, she would lie to any authority, whether it was a crime or not.
And realizing that was scary. She should have a greater sense of self-preservation, right?
How was it possible to be so involved with a guy with whom she only spent two weeks of the year?
They didn't even have each other's numbers.
The two of them had this silent agreement that those two weeks were a bubble, they lived the fourteen days there in Canada as if the real world didn't exist, as if winter vacation was all they had.
Maybe because they knew that if contact between them extended beyond that, things would get complicated.
It would be too difficult to exchange messages all year round, it would only serve to remind them that they were three thousand one hundred and eighty miles away.
Of course she wanted to know about Kieran's life, follow his days and hear about his games. She wanted to be able to call him and complain about her mother, tell him her plans for the weekend, and video call him when she missed the pair of blue eyes staring at her.
But their lives weren't limited to each other.
He was in college and trying to achieve his dream of being a professional hockey player, while Rila was preparing to begin her journey into medicine.
One that she knew would be demanding, just like his.
So, at least for now, that bubble was all they had.
And the occasional stalking she gave on his Instagram profile, because Rila wasn't made of iron.
— I know, I just can't risk getting caught, your parents are here all the time.
Yes, they were, but her father was always looking at his laptop while her mother was busy organizing events for the following year. They were there, but at the same time they weren't.
— Just don't get caught — she shrugged.
— Rila, I really wanna kiss you until you lose your senses, but this is serious.
She could combust now. Shit, she really wanted him to do what he said. She wanted his fingers tangled in her hair as his mouth devoured hers and their tongues danced together. He wanted his hands on her waist, pulling her close to deepen the kiss. She wanted Kieran.
And apparently she couldn't have him this time. After a whole year thinking about it, about how those lips kissed hers fiercely and insatiably, she wouldn't have them.
Torture, that would be pure and painful torture.
— Uhg, I hate that you're so Canadian.
Why did they have to be so prissy? Canadians were truly the most polite beings Rila had ever met and she generally loved that trait.
When she was in Vancouver, she didn't see people arguing in the streets, cars didn't honk in traffic, and everywhere she went she saw people treat each other with respect.
Not that Boston was a jungle where everyone fought and jumped at each other's throats.
However, things were simply different there, more peaceful and calm.
But now, Rila didn't want peace and calm, she wanted the rules to fuck off and she wanted to kiss Kieran like her life depended on it.
— I can't believe you're gonna make us wait until next year.
She crossed her arms and made a displeased face. Rila was never the kind of spoiled girl who threw a tantrum when she didn't get what she wanted, however, at that moment she wanted to kick and scream.
— Believe me, I’m not happy either. But I promise this wait will be worth it — Kieran ran a hand through his hair, visibly frustrated. She saw him discreetly look around before placing one arm around her shoulders and the other around her back, pulling her into a hug.
Rila settled on his chest immediately, letting her hands slide down his back and turning her face to place her cheek on his chest. The smell of cinnamon invaded her senses, and she sighed, feeling the comforting warmth emanating from him.
She spent fifty weeks of the year in Boston, but this place was where she truly felt at home. And she suspected that the owner of a certain pair of crystalline eyes was the reason for that.