Gio

"Okay," Ari whispers, dashing out on her tip-toes.

The black curtains block the light, leaving the room dark and calm. The wind-chime outside tangles with the wind as Celia's fragrance wafts the air, leaving a mark on my bed.

With a small whine, she curls into a ball again and tucks her hands under her cheek. Her lips squeeze into a pout, making me chuckle. I pull the sheets further up her shoulder, allowing my arm to linger over her for a brief, guilty moment.

Her fragile body rises and falls under me with each small breath. I carefully brush her hair away from her face, amazed by how soft and delicate her skin feels under my fingers.

She inhales sharply, giving me a heart attack and I quickly withdraw my hand. To make matters worse, Luna beside me meows in protest, I didn't even realize she's there.

I catch her before she jumps on Celia and set her down, pushing my hand on her butt to make her sit. She meows angrily and I lift my finger over my mouth to silence her.

A chuckle makes me look up, finding Celia staring at me, eyes agleam with amusement.

"Sorry..." I mumble, looking down. "I uh, I thought you might be more comfortable here..."

"I am," she says, voice calm.

I observe her curiously, wondering how in the world she seems so peaceful in my bed. So at ease as if she's done it a million times before, while I'm seated on the floor, flustered as hell.

"What are you thinking about?" she asks.

My pulse gets quicker, tempting me to run out of the room and order dinner, but I stay. Tentatively, I get up and sit on the bed, split between facing her and the closet ahead.

"Gio?" she softly calls me and I turn to look at her. "I'm sorry."

"What for?"

She bites her fingernail, breaking eye-contact. "For scaring you. I'm sorry for scaring you."

We sit for a moment, Ari's cartoon noise muffled from the living.

"I'm sorry for thinking that I know what's best for you," I murmur.

"Maybe you do."

"Why do you say that?" I wonder and she blushes a little.

"I don't know, I kind of... trust you?"

I chuckle. "Kind of?"

"A little." She smiles.

I'm paralyzed by how innocent she acts sometimes, almost scared by how it disarms me.

"Where's Ari?" she asks.

"She's watching TV," I say quietly and she hums.

Somehow the silence is too natural between us, no pressure to fill it.

"I have to tell you something," I say, stomach unpleasantly fluttering.

She raises her brows, then slowly sits up, bringing her knees to her chest. Her arms fold under her chin as she peeks under her lashes. I take a deep breath and turn to face her fully.

"I like you," I say, noting how her eyes widen just slightly. "I'm not going to act like I don't, because I do. I don't play games and I don't like lies."

"Okay..." she drawls, knowing there's more.

"But," I wet my lips, stalling for courage. "I'm not going to do anything about it."

"Because I'm too young?" she asks, hurt evident in her voice.

"No."

"Because I'm too crazy?"

I faintly smile. "You don't think I'm crazy for hiring you?"

The brief glint in her eyes confirms her agreement, making me chuckle.

Swallowing, I lift my hand over her feet, pressing my palm on the sheets. "Um, I've been wondering actually about why exactly I did that. You see, all this time I thought it was out of desperation, but I don't think that's true anymore."

"Oh?"

"I remember finding you the next day in that small alley with a dirty pup on your lap, you were in a white dress but you didn't care and you were crying over him. I thought you're really bold and compassionate. I wanted someone like that for Ari."

She leans back and rests against the headboard with her attention fully on me.

"But..." I drift my gaze away as images of today's events play in my head. "I think the real reason I approached you was because for a long time, I've looked at everyone like they're behind a glass wall and for some reason when I saw you, I thought you are on the same side with me."

"I know what you mean," she says, holding her bottom lip between her teeth. "I feel that too."

"And sure you are crazier sometimes," I say casually and she scoffs, making me smile. "You are, but I think it's justified and I think I'd be the same if I didn't have a child. I get it."

Her eyebrows furrow like a sad puppy and I want to reach my hand and cup her face.

"But I have child. She's seven years old and I'm past the phase of entertaining myself. I don't have the time, I don't have the desire and I'm not interested." I shrug, eyes blanking into space. "I don't remember the last time I let go and just had fun, but I'm okay with that."

"You shouldn't be," Celia says, pulling my attention towards her.

"We shouldn't be a lot of things," I smile at her. "Doesn't mean we aren't and that's my point."

I lift my hand on her knee, adding a little pressure to make her lower it down, because I don't want anything between us for what I'm about to say, I want her to understand.

"I'm not rejecting you because you're too young or because you're too crazy." I keep my eyes on her as she frowns at her fidgeting hands. "I'm rejecting you, because you shouldn't be interested me. You should focus on leaving this place and going to school and having a life that a nineteen-year-old is supposed to have. Traveling the world, having a good time, finding yourself. I want that for you."

Her face flushes a shade of pink and I give her knee a reassuring squeeze, continuing. "So please, stop liking me. Don't waste your time."

"You're so..." she trails off, then sighs defeatedly.

"I don't mean to be, it's just..." My tongue tangles when she finally looks at me, her face so annoyed, but still God damn beautiful. I laugh. "God, Celia..."

"What?" she asks at first confused, then more demanding. "What is it?"

"Nothing, you're just... never mind."

"Why do you have to be like this?"

"Because... what type of a man would I be if I let someone like you be with someone like me?" I try to sound lighthearted, but the way her frown deepens makes me feel exposed and pathetic.

"You're so fucking annoying," she whispers, wiping the tear that rolls down her cheek as she turns her face towards the window.

I watch her, gutted that I made her cry for the second time today, struggling to understand how I keep messing up when all I'm trying to do is make things okay.

"You know what..." She crawls on all fours then wraps her hand on the back of my neck and kisses me.

I draw in a sharp breath as her soft lips part mine. Her taste silencing all thoughts. Her nervous breath ripples like a warm wave while her dainty fingers grab onto my neck for one brief, intimate moment.

Then she pulls away, eyes half-closed and hypnotic beyond reason.

"I think you deserve the world," she murmurs, voice a little broken. "I think you deserve to be happy and you deserve to be loved, so fuck you for trying to convince me otherwise."

With a smirk, she gazes at my lips, proud for doing the forbidden.

"You want to play hard to get? Go for it," she says and releases me, leaving the room.

~A/N~
Nice try Gio and good luck ;)

This chapter is dedicated to @Aksiat for being so passionate and always having book club conversations with other readers hehe ❤️