Shout out to shrub-skinz, immegan28, izzielg, Mz. Fitz, Ashe, and for Kaia for leaving reviews and sending birthday greetings! Thank you all so much.
Continuation…
After awhile Miss Claudette walks back in again with the mouth-watering cake and sets it on the table to serve to you and Piper. It looks so good that it takes your mind away a little from the looming issues which you and Piper were talking about before being interrupted by Miss Claudette. She gives you the first slice and you watch as she does the same to the blonde girl whom you're sitting across from. Piper gives her a warm smile and says thanks. Although you're a little jealous and wish that she would feel the same affection towards you, you're glad that she has the old lady. Someone who she can be comfortable enough with to show what she feels on this island, knowing that she's in a difficult situation and misses her family.
Miss Claudette bids the two of you goodnight and right before she leaves, you tell her that you will not need her assistance anymore and she can retire for the rest of the night. The room is filled with too much silence once the two of you are left alone again. You suddenly notice everything around you all at once, even how thick the chocolate filling is that's covering your untouched slice of cake in front of you. Piper on the other hand is already eating hers, absentmindedly nipping through each slice, she looks so serious doing so from all the thoughts running inside her head.
You clear your throat to make a sound and that breaks her concentration. She looks up at you, there must be a million thoughts going through her mind right now with how she's looking at you blankly. What will she do? She fears for her life, and is worried if she can entrust it to a total stranger. A stranger that has a bad temper when she doesn't get her way and has even treated her badly.
You have to show her that she can trust you. The temper you can't do anything about right away, but you have to let her know that you will not let anything happen to her so long as you're alive.
"Hey… are you alright?" You know it's a stupid question but you just don't know what else to ask her right now.
"Mhhm.." She gives you that very short answer. You know that she's not, but for now you will not press her about that and give her time to let the situation sink in. You do have an idea though on how to lessen the grief that she's feeling over her situation.
"Maybe you'd like my piece? I think you want some more." You tease her, referring to your slice of cake. "Is it that good?" you add, hiding an amused look behind the glass that you are currently sipping from.
"No thank you." She shakes her head and manages a small smile with her reply, probably just to show you some gratefulness for the dinner you invited her to tonight.
"With how you were so concentrated in eating that cake the whole time, one would think that you haven't had cake in your entire life." You tease her, to lighten the mood before telling her the next thing in your plan.
From all those years of observing her, you know how she can hide her true feelings behind a smile. Making it seem like she was alright the whole time she was going through that phase of difficulty. That's the last thing that you want, for her to fall back to that while she's here.
"Uhhm...I know we don't really get along well..." you pause to gather some strength in what you're about to say and, noticing how you have suddenly turned serious, she listens to you more intently."...And I'm not going to apologise for my actions before, but I want you to know that I will do everything in my power to help you." You look straight into her eyes while telling her this, holding her gaze and pouring into it all the sincerity you can.
She looks thankful andconfused at the same time but all in all, she's relieved that there's someone willing to help her in this. She has no choice after all. She has no one else. God knows she won't ask her family for help, fearing that she would drag them into this trouble.
"Do you understand?" You ask to make sure she is registering all of this.
"Yes." She answers curtly. Only then she lets one tear fall from her eyes and quickly wipes it away.
"And since it's imperative that you stay here until the time comes that I have fixed this... We need to come to an agreement so we can talk like civil people and not be at each other's throats all the time. I want you to understand that you're welcome to do anything you want in this house and if you need something, anything, just tell me about it." You add one more reason that would make it harder for her to disagree with this idea."It is important to me that we get along so I won't be bothered with your presence here and am able to formulate a much faster plan to get you out of this…"
"What an excuse."
You pause to see if she's absorbing everything that you're telling her and when you see that she does, you continue once again.
"I was hoping that while we're at this maybe it would help a lot if at least..maybe.." You don't know how to say it without appearing sentimental. "...we can be friends?"
"Don't look at me like that..."
With the way she's looking at you right now, you want to take back everything you just said.
"I know you've said that I'm the last person on earth you would wanna be friends-."
"Let's forget about that." She says, cutting you off with what you were planning on saying. "I was angry with what you did to me." She finally speaks. "I think you can understand why. I know that I need you and.." She looks at you before continuing, making sure that you're listening to her. You on the other hand are hanging to every word that's coming out of her mouth. She seldom speaks her mind, and when she does you will not do anything to interrupt her. "I agree that it's important that we should get along while I'm staying here. Even become friends." She ends her statement, waiting for you to say something.
The two of you feel like you're treading a different territory right now and you both aren't sure how to walk this road yet.
But did you really hear that? Did she really say that you can be friends? You're not sure that's what you just heard. Maybe it's your mind putting words into your head because of how badly you have wanted to be close with her for the longest time. But you'd have to be staked alive to admit that.
"Are you sure?" You ask her once again.
"You just want to hear it."
She gives you a nod. You don't know what's taking over you or your hand to reach out across the table, asking her silently to shake it. It's totally unnecessary but here you are with your hand hanging in mid-air, waiting for her to take it. For her to seal the deal, as if you two had just met and she's granting you a fresh start with her.
"Friends?" You ask in a comforting voice.
Please take my hand and say it…
She slowly reaches out take your hand and cautiously shakes it. "Friends."
The moment you feel her hand holding yours and how soft it is, you feel like jumping deep inside. This is like winning the first level to a game that took you so long to train for.
The two of you jump from your seats when your phone suddenly rings. The fright made her withdraw her hand from your grip. You miss it at once, the feel of her warm hand and how perfectly well it fits in yours.
You curse at yourself for forgetting to put your phone on silent but when you catch a glimpse of whose calling, you know that you have to take it. It's an important call from someone overseas that you have been waiting for days to hear from.
You look at Piper apologetically and say, "I have to take this." You don't bother to wait for Piper's reply and immediately press the answer button. This contact is someone who can greatly help in this mess you're in and you don'twant to keep him waiting. You see Piper's eyes peek up from her bent head when she hears you speaking in Spanish and the both of you quickly look away from each other. She continues to slice through her cake while you gather some valuable information.
After hanging up, you turn to face your guest and see that she's looking at you. You wonder if you have something on your face because she's looking at you curiously.
"What?" you ask anxiously.
"You speak Spanish?" Piper asks and you eye her curiously.
You're not used to her conversing first and you can't believe that she's interested in anything that has to do with you.
"Yeah, I speak Italian, French and German too." You spurt out without putting a thought to what you just said, immediately regretting it.
Great, now you sound like a bluestocking. She may probably think you're a know-it-all too.
"I hope you don't play the piano or the flute too?" She asks with a glint of humour in her eyes.
"No, I can't play either." You answer, wondering what she really means with her question.
"That's good 'cause those are the only things that I do well." She explains with a wide smile.
Did she justjoke withyou? She even made an effort in not making you look foolish for boasting about yourself by also jokingly boasting about herself. You're glad that she has already taken the first step to this friendship thing with you by doing what she just did. Piper is intelligent and in that short moment she must have made up her mind that it's definitely easier that you two get along with each other. She may have an agenda herself, knowing she can't talk to you about her situation and ask for some information about it if you two aren't getting whatever it is you can't help but find her so pleasing and effortlessly captivating right now, that you literally thirst for more of this side of her.
You offer her a warm smile and a thought comes to your mind.
"Would you like to take a walk outside?" You invite her. It is this time of night that the moon is so high and shining prettily on the water. Also this is the time when fishermen come out to the sea because the fish like to swim under the reflection of the moon and it's just so idyllic to look at.
"It's a lovely night and I usually take my drink outside the gazebo, but if you're tired you can go back to your room." You quickly add when she didn't immediately reply, but you hope deep inside that she will take you up on your offer. You haven't had enough of her company tonight.
You will never get enough of her.
"I would love to." She answers simply.
She hasn't had the opportunity to see what it's like during night time here so you understand her enthusiasm when she gladly takes your offer.
A fine, chilly air descends when you two step outside making the sea gleam more. You can see it all the way up from where you're walking, leading Piper out to the gazebo where there's a small table and four chairs around it. This is where you always love to sit at night and have your wine because you can see the whole view of the beach and the house that surrounds it.
When you reach the gazebo, you immediately go to pour yourself another glass of wine and, when you turn, you see Piper inspecting the chess game that you and John left the other day.
"Do you play?" You ask with surprise and doubt in your voice. You haven't seen her play one before.
"Yes, my dad taught me when I was little." She answers and crosses her hands around her, feeling the chilliness of the night.
"Here." You say as you hand her a full glass of wine. "It will warm you up."
"Thanks." She says and turns to her side to look at what's in front her. The moon is shining down to the sea making a straight reflection of it all the way to the shore.
But you're interest isn't at all on the perfect view of the sea and moon in front of you, but on the blonde girl who you can't seem to keep your eyes off the whole night. You ache to touch her. To kiss her. To show her this hunger you have had for her ever since the first moment you laid your eyes on her. To undo what you have done. To touch her with gentleness and make her feel pleasure that would wash away all the troubles that are within her. If only you can do that without forcing yourself onto her.
For the millionth time this night, you feel like smacking yourself again for being caught staring when she turns to you and asks for another glass. She walks around the table and looks at the chess board again.
"Which color are you playing?" She questions as she looks up at you.
"Black." You answer briefly.
"You're king is in danger." She tells you, hiding an amused smile from the glass she's sipping from.
When you inspect the board again, you see that it really is and you wonder how you could have missed that. She must be really good at this game for noticing.
"Play with me." She doesn't have time to refuse because you are already pulling out the chairs on opposite sides of the table so you two can sit on them.
"Do you play often?" She inquires innocently.
"Very frequently. John and I play this all the time and we make bets on it. There's really not many things you can do around here, so we use this to pass time.
"In that case, this won't take very long." She says very confidently, letting you know that she's going to blow you away at this game.
"Are you planning to beat me at this game?" You raise a brow arrogantly at her.
"I don't have to plan it because I'm sure I will." Piper tells you pointedly. She looks so bent on winning something over you, even if it's only in the form of this game and you're glad that she's warming up a little. You're night is turning out so much more fun than what you expected.
As the game progresses, she makes her moves skilfully, confident that she can win this game and show you that she's better than you in something. At first, you were bold and quick with your moves but after thirty five minutes, the play had already slowed down considerably and it's becoming apparent to the two of you that it's not that easy to beat the other.
She captures your knight on her next move. "It seems like you're really serious with your threat in making me lose." You say with frank admiration in your eyes.
She chuckles at what you said and tells you in return, "Yes, but not nearly as easily as I had hoped for. And I recognized how good you are in this game three moves before you became aware of how good I am, so that alone should have cost you this game." Her beautiful smile is blinding when it's this close. You need to concentrate though, you must not lose to her easily.
"I apologize for disappointing you," You reply mockingly.
"I'm sure you're absolutely delighted to 'disappoint me' and you know it!" Piper laughs.
Already into the second game, the first having ended in a stalemate, Piper has gone frombeing a little ill at ease to comfortable and relaxed. She has calmed so much that you, from time to time, have to shake your head from disbelief that you are here with her, doing this and even having fun. By the time you are in the middle of the game, both of you are already heckling one another outrageously from being a little drunk, and you find out more and more how intelligent Piper is and that she has a very competitive nature in her.
With her elbows already propped up on the table and her chin cupped in her hands, Piper watches you as you reach for your bishop.
"How unwise.." She advises you. Of course you ignore it and continue with your planned move.
"You are not fit to give your opinions on my strategy after that last reckless move of yours." You tell her with a wicked grin.
"Don't say I didn't warn you." She muses while tapping her perfectly shaped fingernails on an empty space on the table as she contemplates on how to counter the move you just made. Leaning forward, she puts down her tower into position, then resting her chin on her hands again.
Each time she reaches across the board, it affords you glimpses of how full her breasts are because her blouse is a little loose in the neckline and hangs low every time she leans forward. It's taking every ounce of your self-control to concentrate on the game. Long ago, she had already abandoned her slippers and now sits curled up on the chair with her legs tucked beneath her. With her luxuriant blonde hair tumbling over her shoulders and her gray blue eyes glowing with mischief, she presents such a charming and captivating picture that you're torn between shoving the chess table aside, drawing her into your lap and letting your hands revel in the richness of her and the delightful desire to simply sit back in your chair and feast your eyes upon her.
She manages to be not only an alluring woman but also a mischievous, wise and fun girl. She is a study of an intriguing contrast because, in the course of one evening, she had treated you with cool disdain, rebellion, playfulness and breezy imprudence. You find her utterly exhilarating. And she plays one hell of a good chess game.
In the spirit of the relaxed atmosphere that you two have been enjoying, Piper raises her eyes and inquires at you while smiling, "Are you contemplating your next move or regretting your last one?"
You let out a loud laugh at what she just said, your sound echoing all over the property. It's been so long since you can remember having a good time like this. Exactly the same thought runs through the mind of a certain friend you've had for a very long time, who is lurking behind the curtains in one of the houses, the darkness of the room concealing his presence. John would never spy on you but he couldn't stop his intrigue when he heard you laugh earlier and couldn't believe that it came from you.
"No. I was actually wondering why I considered playing with you when clearly you are no match for my skills." You tell her devilishly.
"You're cocky." Piper laughs. "I can't imagine why I'm wasting my time on such a weak opponent either."
Thirty minutes later, Piper's blonde head bends on the table as she contemplates the success of her strategy. She thinks she owns this game already.
"How perverse of you to manoeuvre me into such an impossible position." She says faking a complaint, smiling to herself as you make the move that she was anticipating you would.
"You think you have me trapped huh?" You tell her with willingness. A slow roguish smile flashes across your face as you make your move for the kill. "Check mate."
"Check mate?" Piper repeats in disbelief as she looks at the board. From confidently sipping on her glass of wine thinking that she has everything in control, she reassesses her vulnerability. You can see from her face that it's dawning on her that she really has been check-mated! No possible moves left for her to salvage her king.
Slowly she raises her eyes to you while you bask in the unconcealed admiration written on her face. When she speaks, her voice is full of admiration. "You tricked me!"
You throw your head to laugh once again. "I tricked you?!"
"Yes you did. How could you lure a helpless girl into a game at which you are obviously a master?" Piper quips and smiles dazzlingly.
"I did not, you practically told me that you were going to beat me at this game." You state clearly. "Shall we finish the game or will you deny me the triumph by claiming that I tricked you?"
"No," Piper says with good nature, "I surrender completely."
Her answer hangs in the silence of the night. Imagine if she had said those words under different circumstances. "I was hoping you would." You say quietly.
You lean back in your chair and stretch your long legs out beside the table. Relaxed and comfortable, you turn your head to look at the view of the sea that's in front of you. Unbeknownst to your knowledge, Piper is studying you as she sips from her wine. She has the strange feeling that behind your relaxed exterior there is forcefulness, a power, carefully restrained at the moment, but waiting. She feels that if she makes a wrong move, a mistake, you would unleash that force on her. She needs to be careful.
"I don't know what time it is but I think it's time for me to retire to bed." She says softly.
Your gaze shifts from the view to her. "Not until I see you smile again." You think it's the alcohol that's making you say this. This time though, with how light you're feeling, you don't care anymore.
She blushes at what you said and feels shy under your gaze but tries to hide it by throwing a jest at you."First you lure me into a chess game, then you outwit me, and now you want to claim a reward from me for doing so. You have no mercy!" She jokes at you to hide her embarrassment. She senses that you're getting bolder with how you're looking at her now.
"I think I should go now." She tells you once again.
You stand up from your chair, tipping a little. Now that you're no longer sitting, you can feel how much wine is in your system. You haven't taken your eyes away from her the whole time as you watched her stand up from her chair too. You can feel all your body yearns to be near her and you find it hard to control it now, since you've been wanting it the whole night and it's getting harder to control as the time passes.
You stop an inch from her and say in a deep voice. "Thank you for this delightful evening," You can't take your eyes off her lips. You miss them and your lips have been dying to feel hers again.
She sees the look in your eyes and her heart begins to hammer uncontrollably while warning bells begin going off in her head.
"Please don't stand so close," she whispers desperately. "It makes me feel like a prey that's about to be pounced on by some predator."
Your eyes smiles but your voice is quiet and seductive. "I want to kiss you." All inhibitions are forgotten now and you want her to know how much you want her. You know you're going to regret this in the morning but right now you couldn't care less.
"Don't kiss me! I still haven't forgiven you for the last time that you did," She says while backing away but also trying to handle you in this state.
"Then I'm afraid you're going to have to forgive me again."
"I'm warning you, I won't forgive you! And we'll never be friends if you do." She says, trying to use the agreement that you two had earlier. But right now, all you can think about is giving in to this hunger of yours.
"A terrifying possibility, but I'll risk it." You murmur huskily as you draw her into your arms and hungrily kiss her. The shock of the contact is electrifying. Piper stands there motionless, hoping that you would just give her a peck but when your hands move down her back as you mold her body tighter to yours. She thinks of fighting it but at the same time she's caught on how different this kiss is from before.
At first, you think that she's not moving because she is scared of angering you so she just lets you have your kiss. But later on you feel her body responding to the kiss that you're stealing from her. You kiss her thoroughly and insistently, until you feel her melt into your arms. And when her lips quiver and part a little, you pull her into you impossibly closer and plunge your tongue into her mouth. Piper surrenders helplessly to the demands of what your tongue and hands are doing to her, feeling some unknown excitement that produces a heated sensation at the pit of her stomach. You're so aroused by the feel of her mouth, tongue and body pressed intimately against you that you feel your mind going numb. Dead. The only thing that's keeping it alive is the feelings that Piper brings to you.
She, on the other hand, feels as if she were two people, one warm and yielding, the other paralyzed with alarm.
When you finally drawback, she lets her head fall into your chest. Disoriented, bewildered and furious at herself and at you for letting that kiss happen.
You let her. Understanding what she's feeling but at the same time not feeling sorry for what you did.
"Can I ask your forgiveness now or should I wait?" And when Piper lifts her rebellious eyes to you, you release her from you and say "I think I'd better wait."
When she still has not spoken a word after a couple of minutes you try to bring back the atmosphere from earlier when you two were bantering with each other.
"Was the kiss so good that I have rendered you speechless?" You ask her teasingly.
Piper can't make a sound from her constricted throat. Feeling so confused right now and loathing herself for not being able to resist you.
"Please let me go to my room now," she manages to say quietly and very seriously so you think it best not to attempt to talk to her anymore tonight.
You make a gesture that tells her that she can leave now and when she does, you slowly walk behind her up to the villa that she's using.
While walking you can't stop thinking about the kiss that you two just shared and that Piper responded to it. A small light of hope is escaping from the once very dark thought that she could also like you. You must erase from her mind though that you're someone she must stay away from.
When you two reach the door to her room, she stops knowing that you're following her and hesitantly turns to you like she wants to say something.
"Can I answer my family's letter?" she asks with sadness in her eyes, if you could only make that sadness disappear with just a snap of your fingers.
A thought comes to your mind. Something that might help take her mind off these things. Tomorrow, you will take her there.
"Yes, you can." You assure her. Then without saying goodnight she walks inside and closes it.
You stand there for a little while, staring at her door. You can't peel yourself away from her, finding it difficult to go back to your own room when the subject of your desire is here. On the same property as you but you can't have her. You can't be with her.
For now…
What you do not know is, that behind that door, Piper is leaning on it with a turbulent emotions going through her, wondering to the Gods why her life has turned this way.
Whew! Every time I finish a chapter, I do a big exhale. I bleed when I write. Anyway, I hope you like this one. I know, you know that the ones written in Italic form are inside thoughts of Alex. It's her thoughts that do not lie and do not cover up anything when her conscious self sometimes does. Do not paint her as someone who is virtuous because she's not. She's entitled and is used to getting what she wants but we'll see what Piper will do to her. Not to change her, cause I don't believe it is our duty to change the people that we care deeply for. All we can do is to love them until they realize they must change themselves for the better. Why am I rambling?! Ok.. Please tell me what you think. The best gift I had on my birthday last week were the reviews that you made! xo
thank you maya! Mwah