63| Hold Me Close And Hold Me Fast

Standing in front of the wooden door of Harper mansion, Maya was arguing with the security guard. She wanted him to give the notebook to Zachary while he was persistent that she should be invited inside so not to annoy Zachary.

"I can't come in, okay? There is a reason." Maya said to the old man.

"Ma'am, Zachary sir clearly stated that you should be welcomed inside whenever you comes. If he finds out I let you go like this, he will be angry." The man reiterated.

"What the---" she gritted her teeth to control her anger. "Please sir... Just..."

"Maya!" Zachary's voice echoed from inside. "What are you doing here?" Maya's head turned towards the source of the voice and her breath hitched when she found him there without a shirt. He looked like he was coming back from their home gym, with sweat covering his body and hair and a towel loosely hanging around his neck.

"I just wanted to give you your notebook back." Maya informed him.

Zachary's eyes narrowed into a glare after which he said, "Come inside. Don't stand at the door."

Maya felt stupid to continue the same argument so she visibly gulped and walked inside. She followed him to his room nearby, much to her annoyance. This was not the first time she was entering his room but this was definitely the first time after their kiss. More than one week had passed since that morning and they were keeping their distance since then.

Unknowingly, Maya's eyes remained fixated on Zachary's sculpted back. Each muscle in his back was defined and there was not an inch of fat on his body. Even when he turned around, his abs strengthened the notion that he was carved out by the God himself.

Blinking twice to clear her head, Maya raised her head and looked into his eyes. "I should be going." She said.

"Stay. I'll change in a minute and then we can talk." Zachary said as he walked over to his closet.

"Talk about what?" Maya asked.

"Us." Zachary said without looking at her.

Before she could ask further, he went into the bathroom. With clenched stomach and dried throat, she seated herself on the edge of his bed and looked around nervously. What were they supposed to talk about? The bigger question is, how were they supposed to talk?

She waited there for five minutes after which he finally walked out of the bathroom. Now dressed in fresh clothes, he reached the side of the bed where she was sitting and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"What?" Maya asked, feeling his focused eyes on her.

"Are we going to talk about it or not?" Zachary asked.

"About what?" Maya acted completely clueless.

"About the fact that I admitted out loud that I like you and you turned me down? Or maybe the fact that I kissed you and you gave me silent treatment after that?" He asked, still leaning against the wall.

Maya stayed silent for a moment, pondering over each possible response. "I clearly told you that I didn't see you that way." She said meekly.

"And yet, you responded to my kiss like your life depends on it." He pointed out and Maya's breath hitched at this. She wasn't planning on responding at all but when his mouth touched hers, she couldn't help it. All the inhibitions lowered and something twitched inside her.

"It's hard for me to believe that you don't feel the same." Zachary added.

"Maybe because you are so used to girls throwing themselves at you, you can't comprehend why someone wouldn't." Maya snarled back.

"Oh. Is that what it is about? All the girls in my life before you?" Zachary asked in frustration.

Maya stood up and picked up her handbag so she could leave. "No. I don't care about your past or present relationships. Just... Leave me out of it. I don't want to be in a relationship with you or anyone else."

"Why?" He asked, standing straight inches away from her.

"Because it just complicates things." Maya said.

Zachary took a step towards her. "And?"

"And it ruins friendships." Maya said.

"And?" Zachary asked again. All these reasons were not worth letting her go.

"And it messes up your focus. I need to be able to go to college with a fresh mind." She said, taking a step back.

"And?" He took another step forwards, entering her personal space once again.

Their eyes locked together while the distance between them decreased to mere inches. Maya's chest heaved up and down as she fought the urge to leap forwards at him.

"And you scare me. You and I are different Zachary, everything about us is different. And it scares me how much you affect me. And it scares me how hard it is to let you go. And---"

For the second time, Zachary shut her off by placing his mouth on hers. Maya's eyes widened at first but then closed on their own as she felt his warmth wrap her like a cocoon. Zachary wanted more, he needed more, so he held her close to him by her waist and explored every nook and crevice of her mouth. Their bodies moulded perfectly, as if made for each other.

It was Maya who broke the kiss and took some deep breaths to calm her racing heart. Zachary kept looking at her with hooded eyes, finding ways to once again feel the velvety sweetness of her mouth.

"Will you still say you don't feel the same?" Zachary asked.

Maya let out a frustrated sigh and closed her eyes. "You don't understand, Zachary. I like you, I do. But things around you are complicated and I don't like complicated. I prefer my life this way without any romantic association with the Golden boy."

"So is it about my family? The Harper name attached with me?" Zachary exhaled loudly.

"No. Yes. Maybe." She took a long pause." It's everything about you. Being your girlfriend will require a lot of commitment and energy and time and I don't think I have that." Maya said. "Please, let's go back to just being friends and forget about this."

"I can't do that." Zachary said.

"And I can't do this." Maya said, stepping away from him.

Zachary's face contorted in anger at this and he gritted his teeth. "Fine. Then don't cross my way from now onwards. Not for any notebook, not for any assignment, not in any freaking case." He growled.

Maya stilled for a moment, staring at his angry face. She wanted to hold him again but she knew she couldn't. Things were better this way.

"Okay." She whispered and turned around to leave.

••••••••••

Althea was getting her hair oiled when the door to her room opened and someone walked in. She shrieked when she noticed Ethan and immediately hid her hair with her hands. "Don't look at me. My hair is a mess and I look like Bellatrix."

"I don't mind. I have seen you in braces, remember?" Ethan grinned and went towards her bed.

Althea hesitantly pulled her hands away and ordered the maid to do it fast. Once her hair was perfectly oiled, the maid tied them in a tight braid and then left the room.

"What is this?" She asked, looking at the brown packet in his hand.

"Ice cream, for you." Ethan handed it over to her.

"You didn't have to. You know I only eat---"

"Two servings of Pistachio with a hint of coconut, dairy free, gluten free and with some chia seeds sprinkled on it. I know." Ethan smirked playfully and managed to make Althea smile as well.

"Thanks." She said and opened the package. She then settled on the bed beside him and tasted the ice-cream. The familiar taste of her favourite icecream made her taste-buds sigh in pleasure. It was weird for her that Ethan exactly knew how she liked her ice-cream, good weird. "So good."

"Won't you share it with me, Thea?" Ethan asked, staring at her with his usual lovey dovey eyes.

"No, it's mine. You should've brought for yourself." Althea grinned and took another bite. Ethan pouted at this, although he didn't really want to taste that bland looking thing.

While she enjoyed her icecream, Ethan kept staring at her, committing her beautiful face to memory, not that he needed. She was already etched in his memory since the day he saw her. "Only you can look this pretty with oiled hair." Ethan stated and a reddish hue appeared on her cheeks.

"I know." She replied proudly.

"I know you know." Ethan said.

"Stop." She pushed him away slightly. "Don't look at me like that."

"Like what?" Ethan's smirk deepened.

"Like you always do. It feels weird." Althea glared at him playfully.

"I can't help it. You are gorgeous." Ethan said and earned another slap on his arm from Althea.

After that, Althea once again started eating, with Ethan stubbornly staring at her like a lovestruck idiot. After she was done, she put the box aside and lay down beside him.

"What now?" She asked.

"You have ice-cream on your lips." Ethan said.

"Where?" She asked, wiping her mouth.

"A little lower." Ethan said.

Althea tried again but ended up smearing it more. Sighing, Ethan extended his hand and wiped the lower border of her mouth. His fingers lingered on her soft, supple lips and his stomach clenched in anticipation.

Bringing his hand to his mouth, he tasted the ice-cream that was on her mouth few moments ago. Surprisingly, it tasted like the best ice-cream he had ever eaten.

"Ethan." Althea mumbled under her breath when she found his eyes fixated on her lips.

"Thea." Ethan whispered, bending his head.

Althea's vision blurred and she started seeing two of him, until her eyes finally closed. His mouth hovered over her while his hand gripped her thin waist. Butterflies appeared in Althea's stomach and she shivered slightly in anticipation.

Their lips finally touched and warmth settled in her belly. The kiss was so tender and soft, as if he was afraid to break her. Never had she seen Ethan so gentle with anyone, except her. She knew the place she had in his heart and more often than not, she enjoyed that attention.

Breaking the kiss, Ethan's lips moved to her neck and the butterflies in Althea's belly started going haywire. Still with eyes closed, she sucked a sharp breath while his lips did wonders on her slender neck.

Only when his hand trailed under her shirt, her sanity returned and she pushed him away. "Not yet." She whispered with half-opened eyes.

"I'm sorry." Ethan said and pulled away. He hopped out of the bed and slipped into his shoes. "I should leave because if I stay here anymore, I won't be able to fulfill our deal."

Althea nodded, cursing the day when she decided to wait for two months.

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