“Mide, have you seen Everybody Loves Jenifa?” he asked over the phone that evening. She shook her head instinctively before realizing he couldn’t see her.
“No! Have you seen it?” she replied, her tone light but curious.
He didn’t hesitate. “Should we go and see it together?” His voice dipped into that playful, cheesy tone she couldn’t resist, and she imagined the way he might look at her if they were face-to-face, his tender, mischievous gaze that always made her heart race.
She chuckled softly, nodding again as though he were right in front of her. “Okay, we can go tomorrow if you’re free.”
For a moment, there was silence on the line, and her mind spiraled. Maybe he already has plans, with his girlfriend, with work, or even family. What if I’m intruding? The thought tugged at her as she hurriedly tried to salvage the moment.
“Or whenever we’re both available is fine too,” she added quickly, trying to sound casual.
“No, tomorrow works, Mide,” he reassured her. “I was just thinking about the reward for the first person to get there. Maybe… a kiss on the cheek?”
She exhaled in relief, unable to stifle her laughter. “You’re such a fraud. A kiss on the cheek is still a win-win for both parties.”
“That’s the point, baby,” he teased.
And just like that, there it was again… baby. A single word, spoken so casually, yet it stirred something deep within her. Did he know how much power his words held over her? How carelessly they ignited the butterflies in her belly?
But no, she reminded herself. She couldn’t fall too far. This felt like dangerous territory. He has a woman, her mind warned.
Sensing her hesitation, his voice softened. “What should I get for you tomorrow?”
“Chocolates,” she replied with a grin.
He laughed. “You, this girl, you just like bad things. You know sneaking junk food into the cinema is against the rules, right?”
She wanted to retort with a cheeky, But you asked me! But stopped herself. Maybe the forbidden was her strong suit now. After all, here she was flirting with a man who wasn’t hers to claim.
Instead, she said, “Talk to you tomorrow.”
“Goodnight, Mide,” he responded, his voice warm and familiar.
After the call ended, Mide settled into bed, her thoughts racing. Would she be able to contain her excitement tomorrow? She had been longing to see him for so long, and now it was finally happening.
The last time they met, she had done a terrible job of keeping her hands to herself. She’d touched him in every place her eyes could see. Tomorrow, would she dare touch the places her eyes hadn’t yet explored?
The thought alone sent a shiver down her spine, making the butterflies in her stomach flutter wildly. She hugged her pillow tightly and whispered into the quiet of her room, “Tomorrow, I’ll finally see him. The man who troubles my heart.”
With that, her restless thoughts gave way to sleep.
*
With popcorn in one hand and a drink in the other, she carefully followed behind him into the dark cinema room, stepping precisely where he stepped. He had chosen the last row, and, even with his hands full, managed to hold her seat down for her.
She looked at him with grateful eyes as she sat down, placing her drink in the cup holder. She watched as he settled into his seat, and her heart raced. Should she move closer to him or stay where she is? Would leaning in make her look desperate? She decided to stay rigid, leaving the first move to him.
Just as she was about to pop a piece of popcorn into her mouth, she felt his breath on her face. Her body froze. Her mind raced once again. If I just lean in a little… would our lips touch? The thought was too tempting to ignore, and she didn’t want to miss a chance. Without hesitation, she turned toward him.
“What a shameless girl,” her inner voice scolded, but it was too late. She had already made her move, only to find there was still too much space between them. Her plan had failed, but her eyes lingered on his lips, unable to look away. The butterflies in her stomach fluttered again.
“When do I get my kiss on the cheek?” he whispered, his voice smooth and teasing.
She forced herself to drag her eyes away from his lips and meet his gaze. Only then did she notice his eyes were fixed on her lips too. Heat flushed through her, and she smiled sheepishly, retreating back into her seat.
“Later,” she whispered back with a grin, tossing a piece of popcorn into her mouth. She caught the faintest smile on his face before he leaned back in his seat as well.
Minutes passed. She tried to focus on the movie, but curiosity got the best of her. She stole a glance at him, only to find him slouched in his seat, throwing popcorn into his mouth carelessly. He didn’t seem interested in the movie.
Is he not enjoying this? she wondered, turning back to the screen. A funny scene played out, and the room erupted with laughter. She glanced at him again, hoping to catch his laugh, only to find him already looking at her.
Her breath hitched. If it weren’t for her dark skin, her cheeks would’ve turned pink. She quickly turned back to the screen, her heart thudding loudly in her chest. Warmth spread through her, a feeling she had tried so hard to suppress.
He shifted closer. She felt the weight of his gaze on her but refused to look his way, keeping her eyes glued to the screen. Heck, she wasn’t even breathing anymore. How could a simple look from him do this to her?
In a panic, she shifted slightly away, not because she wanted to but because she feared what she might do if she didn’t.
“Mide,” he said, her name so soft it was barely a whisper. For a moment, she thought she’d imagined it. Slowly, she turned her head toward him, and that’s when she realized just how close his face was to hers.
If she moved just a little closer, their lips would meet.
Her heart pounded against her chest. Geez! It was so loud. Can he hear it? She thought. Her face burned, and he hadn’t even done anything yet. She tried to turn back to the screen, trying to get herself together, but he stopped her.
His hand was gentle as he cupped her chin, but he held her in place. She stopped breathing again.
“You’re beautiful, Mide,” he whispered.
The words were soft, and they might have shattered the last bit of composure she had left. His words stayed with her, wrapping around her like a warm blanket. She found herself swallowing hard, her throat dry like paper, her mind racing. Say something, Mide. Don’t just sit there.
But how could she? His hand still held her chin, his thumb brushing her skin lightly, leaving a tingling feeling where it touched. The air between them grew heavier. no words were felt, but things were deeply felt.
“Thank you,” she whispered, her voice trembling. She wanted to look away but she couldn’t.
Her eyes searched his face, looking for something, anything, that would break the moment. But all she found was the intensity of his gaze, like he could see straight through her.
He tilted his head slightly, his eyes flicking back down to her lips. The corner of his mouth lifted in a small, knowing smile.
“Why do you always do that?” he asked, his voice, almost teasing.
“Do what?” she managed to reply, barely above a whisper.
“Act like you don’t know how I feel about you”
She took a deep breath again. She wanted to tell him she didn’t know what he meant. Because she genuinely didn’t. She had heard him tell her he liked her a lot of times, but she didn’t see it. He hides away his emotions more than she does. He had made her doubt several times whether he truly felt something for her like he claimed.
But deep down, she knew she wanted him to be mean it. She wanted him to feel all of what she felt. She wanted his words to be more than promises.
Her lips parted to speak, but she didn’t want to speak. She didn’t want to feel the big emotions she was feeling. She didn’t want him to know that he shattered the walls she fought so hard to build. She just hates when she cannot boldly express her emotions. The endless games they play weaken her, and she doesn’t want him to know how much she’s been holding back.
Then, his thumb moved, tracing the edge of her lips, enough to distract her from her thoughts.
“You’re doing it again,” he murmured, his voice getting lower.
“Doing what?” she asked, her voice so low, you could barely hear it.
“Running away from me.”
Her heart was beating so fast against her chest, each beat getting louder every second. She should stop this. She should lean back, or say something to ease the tension. But instead, she stayed still, like a dear caught in headlight.
He leaned in closer, his lips just a breath away from hers. She could feel the heat of his body, and the faint of his cologne. ‘Don’t do this’ her brain warned.
“Tell me to stop,” he said softly. He made it sould like a challnge, like he was daring her. but it also sounded like a plea. She parted her lips, and for a moment, she thought she might tell him to stop, that they shouldn’t cross a line. But the words wouldn’t come.
Instead, she whispered, “Don’t,” and it was all the invitation he needed.
His lips brushed hers, an ever-so-light touch that sent sparks through her body. He seemed to be taking it slow; like he was testing, waiting for her to pull away. Instead, she leaned in, closing the distance between them, her hands finding their way to his chest. His heartbeat was as fast as hers, and this sent a wave of warmth through her and settled in between her legs.
The kiss got deeper. it was slow, but her body was moving fast. His hand moved from her chin to her neck, and his fingers tightened around her small neck lightly, as his other hand played with her hair. She liked it so much she moaned his name into his mouth. Her soft moan of his name made him lose every shred of self-control he had. His fingers tightened just slightly on her neck. It wasn’t to hurt her, but to show her what she was doing to him.
“God, Mide,” he murmured against her lips.
Her body betrayed her, pressing closer to him as if she couldn’t handle the space between them. His other hand slid from her hair, trailing down her shoulder and resting on her waist. His grip was firm and possessive, gripping her in a way she felt was comforting.
At this point, she couldn’t think anymore. The sensation, his touch, the taste of him, the warm pool gathering in between her thighs… she could almost feel it dripping. Her hands gripped his shirt tighter, pulling him closer, wanting more. No! she needed more.
The kiss grew deeper, yet still restrained, as if both of them were treading lightly on the edge of something they couldn’t take back. His teeth grazed her lower lip, and she gave him the opening to explore her.
Her heart raced so fast it felt like it might burst. She couldn’t believe the way her body responded to him.
His hand moved from her neck, his fingers tracing down her collarbone. She felt her heart quicken even more as he dipped his head, his lips soft against the corner of her mouth, her jawline, and her neck.
“Mide,” he whispered again.
She shivered, her name sounding like a prayer on his lips. She tilted her head back slightly, giving him better access, her lips parting as she tried to breathe better.
Her fingers loosened on his shirt and slid upward, hesitantly at first, before finding their way to the nape of his neck. She felt the softness of his hair under her fingertips and gently tugged, earning a soft groan from him.
Every touch, every sound, every moment felt like a spark. She didn’t know how much longer she could hold herself back, and from the way his hands gripped her waist tighter, she could tell he was struggling too.
But then, somewhere at the back of her mind was a whisper. It felt more like a warning, like a reminder of the line they were crossing, and what the risk this could mean.
She stopped, and folded her fingers.
He must have felt it too, because he pulled back slightly, his forehead resting against hers, his breaths uneven against her lips.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice laced with concern.
Her eyes shut wide open, meeting his. The intensity in his gaze was still there, but so was something else. A willingness to stop if she asked him to.
She nodded slowly, though her heart was still pounding. The tension between them didn’t go anywhere. It was still there. But he wasn’t holding her as tight anymore. Instead, his thumbs brushed against her waist slowly.
She held his gaze, her chest rising and falling with each breath. Her eyes burned, and she felt her tears threatening to spill. Could he see it too? The longing, the fear, the vulnerability that was all over her face? But as she looked at him, her breath became even more uneven as she realized the truth she had been avoiding all this time. She didn’t want him, she was also terrified of losing him. The thought dawned at her almost immediately, and she felt a pang in her chest. It was a raw feeling, also a painful one. She blinked rapidly, praying the tears away go away, not wanting him to see her like this.
“Mide,” he said softly, as his hand reached for hers. But she slipped from his grip, settling back into her seat as if the space between them would keep her from her own emotions.
“What’s wrong?” he asked again, moving closer to her. his tone was gentle, but insistent. “Nothing,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. She kept her eyes fixed on the screen, refusing to meet his gaze.
She felt him hesitate, his presence lingering before he slowly leaned back into his seat. From the corner of her eye, she could see him watching her, he looked confused. She bit her lip, the ache in her chest almost unbearable at this point.
She wondered what was going through his mind. Did he feel it too? Does he also fear losing her? Did he sense the vulnerability she had been trying so hard to hide? Part of her wished he did. She wanted him to feel the weight of what they could lose. She wanted him to crave her the way she craved him, maybe his heart could open up to her the way hers did.
Her fingers gripped the edge of her seat as she fought the urge to reach for him again. The air between them was heavy with unspoken words, their silence was almost louder than the movie playing on the screen.
She didn’t know how long she could keep herself together. And just as she was about to turn to him, from the corner of her eyes, she saw him reaching for his phone in his pocket. On the screen was “Babe” with a red heart emoji. Instinctively, he looked at her before hiding his phone. “was he going to pick the call?” She had wondered. She was him leaning towards her as if he wanted to whisper something to her.
“Give me a sec. I have to take this call. It’s important.” He waited a bit, as if gauging her reaction before he stood up, and stepped out of the cinema. As she watched the back of his head disappear more and more into into the dark cinema, she knew. She knew the love she craved was never going to be hers. At least, not from that man.
She didn’t know how long she could keep herself together. And just as she was about to turn to him, from the corner of her eye, she saw him reaching for his phone in his pocket. He had a call. On the screen was “Babe” with a red heart emoji. Instinctively, he looked at her before keeping his phone from her eyes. “Was he going to pick the call?” she wondered. She watched as he leaned towards her, as if he wanted to whisper something to her.
“Give me a sec. I have to take this call. It’s important.” He waited a moment, as if gauging her reaction, before standing up and stepping out of their seat. She watched the back of his head disappear further and further into the darkness of the cinema.
And she knew. She knew the love she craved was never going to be hers. At least, not from that man.
