CHAPTER 24: FANTASY COME TO LIFE

Nothing has felt so soft before, so endearing and ethereal to her.

Her mind fought to understand what was going on, and what he was doing. It’s not like she’s not seen someone do it before, but it was just so different to her. She never knew a feeling so kind and beautiful existed, till now.

She’s never felt so at peace before in her life, and couldn’t believe all these feelings came with just his lips on hers.

The sound of her heartbeat filled her ears, and every nerve of her body came to life. It felt like the world around her had disappeared, leaving them alone to relish in this one-of-a-kind moment.

His lips were... soft. They weren’t moving, but she loved it.

But as beautiful and amazing as this was, it still wasn’t making any sense. She wished it would last forever - this feeling that came with no reserve and had spread out its arms to her, but everything that has a beginning, must have an end.

Alastair pulled away, and there was only one thought in his mind. Why had he froze the second their lips touched? It’s been an eternity since he last reacted to anything in any way close to that.

The absence of his lips, and his scent had Aaliyah feeling down once again. She panted from the kiss, squeezing her heart even more.

Her chin was still looking up, and she stared at him with wide and shaky eyes that oozed puzzlement and another look that was new. That had been the last thing she had expected from him!

In fact, she had no expectations!

Oh my God...

That was...her First...Kiss.

Kiss, that was what it was called. It was even more magical than she’d thought of it to be.

What killed the magic was the bland look he still had on his face. Aaliyah screamed at herself that she was just overreacting and that the man felt nothing from what just happened. Then why did he do it in the first place?

But like he said, he was trying to be better to her. It was still very hurtful to see that the kiss didn’t mean anything to him.

As if he could feel her distress, he squatted down to meet her sorrowful eyes and interlocked his fingers with her wet hair, "Little Siren, what’s wrong?"

She looked away, shaking her head.

"Lies,"

"I just need some privacy," She said.

"I promise I can’t see anything," He uttered, caressing her scalp with a gentle massage.

"It’s not that. I just...,"

"Was it the kiss? I caught you off guard?"

"No," She bit her lip, "Did you... like it?"

His hand stopped moving on her scalp for a split second and resumed immediately, "What’s there not to like?"

She looked at him again. His expression was still apathetic and blank like he could feel nothing. It was the first time she was paying very keen attention to this careless look written all over his features, and she noticed how none of it was forced.

It was as if this was his natural look. A look of no emotions.

Like...he really didn’t have any type of emotion in him.

Was that even possible?

But then again recently she’s been beginning to find out that the impossible was very much possible and had witnessed it with both eyes inside the Hollow.

"What do you feel right now, Alastair?" She inquired, feeling like she was holding his gaze through the shirt.

"I feel... happy,"

That was a lie. She could somehow tell. Her guts were telling her that.

"You only feel happy?" She continued.

"I could kiss you again,"

That was another big lie.

"Why?"

"Your lips are soft and supple. Why wouldn’t I not want to feel them against mine again?"

"Yeah. Why wouldn’t you?" She repeated, wishing she could just dive into the water and hide herself away from all this.

All this was being forced. It felt as if he was forcing himself to like her all of a sudden and it started when she stepped out of the Hollow. If it wasn’t pity that changed his mind, then he also mentioned something about...that thing she could see.

Could it be because of that?

How is he so sure about what he was saying? She’s always pretended nothing was there, but now...

Thinking about it had her gaze wandering to his chest, to his left peck where his heart was. She stared too intensely at it, and then her body began to move on its own. Her hand came out of the water, trembling in anticipation as she tried to feel what she was seeing.

The Maqbeth.

Right there... Like a fantasy come to life, except it was actually real life.

"I can...," She said to herself.

Just before she could touch anything, his hand came out of nowhere and grabbed her to stop its movements. It happened so fast that she gasped, and then it dawned on her what she had almost done. Did she just prove...him right?

She had been so entranced by the magnificent sight of it she had lost focus and now...

"You can see it, can’t you?"

"I don’t know what you’re talking about," She replied.

She felt him squeeze her hand, "Little Siren, tell me what you see right there,"

"What’s all this about seeing something?" She shrugged.

"You can see it," He stated.

"Alastair. What are you talking about? What can I see?"

His look didn’t change, but his aura intensified a bit, "Lies, little Siren. I know very well that you’re lying,

"You’re scaring me, Alastair."

The moment she said that it was as if he sucked back his dark demeanor into his body again and the air once again became breathable, "I’m sorry," He whispered.

Did he just apologize?

"I really don’t know what you’re talking about, Alastair," Now she was nervously playing with her fingers under the bath. Lucky for her, he could not see anything.

"I’m sorry," He repeated.

Aaliyah sensed something different about this apology, "Alastair?" She questioned, her anxiety growing fast.

Then suddenly, he brought her hand to his chest. Aaliyah was horrified, and that horror turned into something even deeper when her hands passed through the Maqbeth like it was just thin air, and touched his chest instead.

What the...!

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