Chapter 11

Kev: Fancy going on a date with me?

I grin at the message he sent me in the middle of class. The auditorium is filled with students listening to the Creative Writing lecture. Keyboards are clacking while the professor explains, and here I am, getting distracted by Kevin's message.

Me: Are you really asking me out through text?

Kev: I prefer asking you out now than after our lectures. Do I take it as a yes?

Me: When do you wanna meet?

Kev: After lectures? Ice-skating and sushi sound like a good combo.

Me: Oh my god! Can we eat Korean instead? There's a new place that just opened.

Kev: Oh yeah, I saw the ad. Korean sounds good. Tell me when you're almost done with your lectures, and I'll pick you up.

Me: I need to change.

Kev: Your casual outfit can also be considered a date outfit. Don't worry, you're good.

Me: How can you be so sure?

Kev: I saw you this morning with Tamera.

Heat rushes to my face as I get back to the lecture, eager for the day to be over so I can see Kevin again.

After yesterday's confession, Andros interrupted us to talk about his problems with Tam. I don't know how it happened after they slept together.

It's funny how both their versions make the other look bad. Andros complains that Tamera is clingy while she complains that the Russian lad is unaffectionate.

I'm pretty sure Andros has never been with an open-hearted girl like Tamera, and she has never been with an introvert; Even though he flirts a lot, Andros becomes quiet when there are few people paying attention to him.

The loud voice of the professor dismissing us makes me jump on my seat before I put everything in my purse and head straight to my other lectures.

Time passes in a blur until, finally, the final class of the day is over, and I head to lunch with Tamera and Liam. We stop at Nando's when halfway through my Pitta, Kevin and other guys walk inside.

His beautiful eyes fall over my face as my mouth bites the chicken pitta.

"Feels like everyone is craving Nando's today," Liam comments when a few of Kevin's friends greet him. They exchange bro hugs, and before I know it, our table of three becomes one of eight.

I'm seated between Liam and Kevin, having Tamera in front of me, her eyes focused on her new Russian neighbor.

"I was waiting for your message," Kevin quietly says after the boys take their orders. His finger is poking my elbow, resting on the table.

"I wanted to text you after lunch. How was class?" I ask.

He shrugs before telling me his morning. He's an incredible storyteller, that's for sure. Something as simple as a routine grabs everyone's attention.

My heart is over the moon for the subtle touches between poking and feet touching. The door of the crowded restaurant jingles. My eyes land on the last person I expected to see.

Doctor Santiago.

Her green eyes are looking around the place through square sunglasses; Her chestnut hair looks like it just had a blowout.

She looks stunning.

"Damn, she looks like the doctor you showed me the picture of," Andros says, receiving a glare from Kevin.

"Mate, it's been weeks, and she still hasn't figured out your relationship?" one of Kevin's friends asks. His voice is way too loud, in my opinion.

Kevin creates a ball out of a napkin before throwing it at him as the doctor looks at us.

The urge to look away and pretend she isn't here is strong. Instead, I smile, adding even a wave. She waves me back.

"I have to say, I regret not agreeing with your stupid idea. I might have done something with her," the same loud guy says.

So he's the original Noel.

He has a full-on neat dark beard with his black waves in that "I just woke up" look. His dark grey eyes shamelessly check the doctor out.

"She's like thirty," I say.

Noel shrugs. "Age is just a number but my dick. . . Now that's another story." He winks, making me scrunch my nose as the guys on the table laugh.

"You're such a pig," Tamera says with disgust.

"Tamera, you're the last person that can say something," he retorts as the food for them arrives.

Doctor Santiago ends up sitting in front of us, giving us her back. I thought that would be enough to drop the therapist conversation, but Kevin's friends are clueless as fuck.

"So, is the therapy working for two strang—"

I release a loud laugh, cutting Andros off. A few people glance at me as if I'm mad. My fingers lace with Kevin's. "We're getting along a lot more since we started," I say.

The boy frowns. "So you're like a real couple now?"

"Mate, you can be so fucking stupid sometimes," Kevin says, shaking his head dismissingly.

The boys laugh, and my heart calms down when they finally change the subject. I hope she didn't catch anything up.

Lunch at Nando's is peaceful, but I couldn't wait to have Kevin all to myself. As promised, he calls us an Uber, and we head straight to the ice-skating rink after eating.

Teenagers are skating in circles with kids slipping on the ground when we head inside. My feet go on autopilot, and I turn around at a more nervous Kevin holding himself against the rail.

I smirk. "You don't know how to skate?"

He puffs his chest, raising an eyebrow. "Do you?"

"Yeah, I used to ice-skate when I was little. Need a hand?"

He nods, and I grab his hands, slowly pulling him forward as I skate backward. His eyes shift between me and the ground. Cute.

"I think we should come clean with the doctor now," he says, and I halt, unable to stop Kevin on time. His hard chest slams against my face, and I lose balance as my nose burns from the pain.

My hands fly out, grabbing his shirt. I try to regain my position, but it's too late—we fall on the cold ground.

I groan, rubbing the back of my head while Kevin hovers over me. "Are you okay?" His wide eyes are filled with worry.

I nod, pushing him off to sit up. I catch the gaze of a few young girls, and I raise an eyebrow, making them look the other way. "Why do you want to come clean so early?"

"We're not really strangers going to therapy anymore."

"We weren't strangers at the beginning either."

"Yeah, but we weren't friends as well."

"So what are we now?"

Kevin bites his lower plump lip before getting on his feet and help me up. "Friends?"

My heart sinks, and he notices it from the expression on my face. "Oh." It's all I can utter out.

I silently pull forward Kevin again. Friends? How can he consider me a friend after yesterday? Did he change his mind—lips collide against mine.

My eyes widen at the cowardly boy. Why is he kissing me? And why can't I push him away since we're friends after all?

I melt before him, going on my tiptoes, which isn't comfortable with ice-skating boots. My hands hold onto his biceps. His tongue slides inside my mouth and asks mine for a round of a steamy kiss.

I'm the first to pull away. "What was that for?"

Kevin stares right into my eyes. "I don't want to rush into a relationship, but I also don't want you to think that I just consider you a friend because I don't."

My face betrays me by lighting up like a Christmas light. I wanted to look indifferent, but I can't stop smiling. Kevin laces his arms around my waist, bringing our bodies closer.

"I'm not sure how we can call ourselves, but I definitely don't want to see you go on dates with other guys," he continues.

"That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard," a high-pitched voice speaks up.

Our head turns to the side, looking down at a brown-haired girl with bright blue eyes looking at us with a frown.

"And who are you?" Kevin asks.

"Why don't you just ask her to be your girlfriend? It doesn't make any sense to not make it official," she continues.

I chuckle. "Because not all relationships are the same. We decided to take it slow."

"It looked like he was the one deciding everything," she points out.

Touché.

"We're compromising," Kevin says.

She raises an eyebrow. "You're forcing her to accept your view of the relationship. And you." She points at me. "You should stop compromising before you start hating him."

"Aren't you too little to know all of this?" Kevin asks.

"I'm twelve! And I always eavesdrop on my mom's conversations. She's a therapist, and I'll become just like her."

"Isabel Teresa Anita Santiago! Leave the couple alone!" an older manly voice yells.

Isabel pouts when a tall man approaches her. His blue eyes and dark hair perfectly match his daughter. "Sorry about that. She can be very nosy sometimes," he says, pulling his daughter back, his hands on her shoulders.

"No worries," Kevin says, and we watch the duo walk off with little Isabel proudly ranting at her father what just happened.

Isabel Santiago. . . Mmm, that's familiar, isn't it?

Kevin and I gasp at the same time, exchanging a wide-eyed look. "She's the doctor's daughter!" 

to be continued...

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Can't believe we're 9 chapters from the end already. I didn't think I would be able to finish it on time for the ONC but now I only have 2 chapters left omgg

Word Count: 17.677