Chapter 12 — Dancing Love

Ivan was still in the corridor, sulking as he watched the beautiful moon. Someone came and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"When will you go?" a familiar sweet voice inquired. Ivan looked at her from the corner of his eyes, before drifting them back on the moon.

Diana sighed. She couldn't stop herself from worrying after half an hour. She went looking for him. She tried to send Rain after Ivan instead, but Jasper took her away.

"Come on! Are you really angry?" Diana pouted, which made his anger vanish almost completely. "I really was paying attention to you. I just wanted Rain to be the only one listening to you. I didn't want to be the third-wheel."

Ivan held her shoulder and pulled her towards his chiseled chest. "You are not a third-wheel, Princess. I was telling you that I was going to Italy for two weeks, not Rain."

She breathed out, "That's weird. Didn't you consider how Rain would feel? Why would you tell your whereabouts to your best friend instead of your girlfriend?"

"Well, my girlfriend is not my fiancée."

Diana gaped at his response. "Ivan...I am just your temporary fiancée."

"You're still my fiancée till the wedding day," he whispered into her ear. His hot minty breath was gliding over her neck, making her heartbeat fasten.

"Please, if you want to inform me about things, do it in person. Don't give me that you're my priority attitude in front of Rain. She is your first and only priority when I am in the same room, got it?"

Ivan hummed in response. She tried to push him away, but he pulled her in such a way that her head landed on his chest once again. She didn't protest again because she liked the position.

"I am going to Italy tomorrow night. I will return after two weeks." Diana listened to him with full attention. "It is because of the business deal."

"Are you sure that is the only reason?" She eyed him suspiciously. "Why do I feel like you're trying to run away?"

"Because your mind works differently."

She lightly punched his arm. Soon, they became quiet as they looked at the beautiful moon together. It gave them peace. The sky was tranquil. They wished they could stay like that forever; without noticing it, their emotions for each other increased more than it ever did before.

***

The next day, Ivan was talking to Suzanne while Jasper kept Rain busy.

"No, Diana Stevens! What are you, a crazy maniac? Is that what you call a dance? I just taught you!" Ruyeli hollered at Diana. She was teaching her ball dance today in the empty space in the middle of the bedroom.

One of Diana's flaws was she couldn't dance. Ruyeli had been trying to teach her for the past four hours, but Diana was either taking a wrong step or stepping on her trainer's toes.

"I can't bear this girl now!" Ruyeli murmured in annoyance. She pointed a stern finger at Diana. "You will show me the perfect ball dance tomorrow. Being your partner here is making me the most embarrassed person on this planet. If you don't perfect the choreo by tomorrow, I will delete your Instagram account!"

Diana instantly shook her head. "No, no. I will learn, I promise." Ruyeli glared at her as she walked out of their room. Diana let out, "See you tomorrow then. Thanks for the time. Bye!"

Diana huffed as she sat on the bed, terribly worn. Ruyeli was her personal assistant, so she had access to Diana's Instagram account. According to the queen, when Diana would take her position, she wouldn't be able to handle social media, so Ruyeli had to handle it.

And even though Diana knew there was no need for the training she was getting as she would run away on the wedding day, she didn't protest. She simply abided by their orders.

Diana tried to dance again, but she failed every time. Giving up, she stomped her foot in annoyance.

"What's wrong?" Ivan questioned as he entered the bedroom after a few seconds.

"I cannot dance!" Diana cried, almost tearing up. Her reaction made Ivan hide a smile to escape from his lips. "Ruyeli scolded me today for it."

"Dancing is very easy. Especially the ball dance." Ivan stood in front of her. She had a pout on her lips; seeing it gave him an urge to kiss her. But he had to control the unusual feeling that grew with each passing second that he was with Diana.

"Well, it's not my fault that I cannot dance. Who knew I would be royally chosen?"

Ivan extended his hand towards her. Diana looked at him with confusion. He asked politely, "Will you do the honor of dancing with me, Princess?" Diana couldn't help but smile at his cuteness. He was really understanding and supportive.

Diana knew that learning the dance would be useless because she would not be crowned the Queen of England. There wouldn't be any occasion where she would have to dance royally after Rain was crowned. However, Diana didn't want to miss any opportunity to dance with Ivan. After all, she started liking him and his presence more than anything despite trying to ignore her feelings.

"Sure." She placed her hand on his and they stood in the middle of their room. Ivan took his phone and connected it with the speaker. Then he turned up the music on Diana's favorite song.

"You especially love this song, don't you?" Ivan asked and she nodded. He was really making it harder for her to control her outgrowing feelings. Having him ask that question made it clear that he paid attention to every conversation he had with Diana. Once, while playing twenty questions, she told Ivan her favorite movie and song. He still remembered what it was, which amused her.

Ivan placed Diana's hand on his shoulder, and he held her waist. They started to sway together slowly, their eyes holding each other'.

Diana was trying to keep up with the pace. When she slipped due to taking one wrong step, Ivan instantly held her back from falling.

The lyrics crooning from the speakers were perfect for their moment. Diana always wished to dance to her favorite song with her soul mate. She never told this to Aiden because she didn't feel the sparks with him. But since she felt it with Ivan, Diana was happy she was dancing to her favorite song with him.

Diana got up and surprisingly, she began understanding all the steps. They started to dance again and this time, Diana didn't hesitate or slip. Her pace matched perfectly with Ivan's. It was as if they were meant to dance together.

Just when Ivan was twirling Diana, her phone started ringing. It was Aiden, which made Ivan groan. Diana noticed it and canceled his call, leaving him a message to call him later.

The song was over, and so was their dancing, much to their disappointment.

There was an awkward silence, before Ivan let out, "Change Aiden's name on your phone."

"Why?" She was confused.

He wanted to say that he didn't like it, but knowing Diana, if he said that, she would ask tons of questions and never change the name. So, he tried to reason out, "Ruyeli has access to your phone. If she or anyone else sees that name when Aiden calls you, they may think it is me, or worse, someone else, and it will be a problem. A major one."

Diana found his reason quite valid. She nodded and changed the name to 'Aiden'. She was about to put a heart beside his name, but Ivan, who was also looking on, said, "No, don't put a heart or any kind of emoji. It seems suspicious."

She listened to him, which gave Ivan relief. They spent some time watching a movie together until it was time for Ivan to go to Italy.

"So," Diana breathed out, looking at Ivan. "I will see you after two weeks."

He gave a small smile. "No need to miss me though. I will keep texting or video-calling you like the old times."

"Of course, you would," she said as she smiled back. "I will kill you if you don't."

They were quiet for a moment, their eyes falling unto each other's lips. Ivan had a strong urge to kiss her, and Diana felt the same way. Unable to control himself, Ivan cupped her cheek with his palm.

Diana closed her eyes. She felt his face moving closer to hers. His minty breath fanned against her cheek, though it was nearer to her lips. Anyone would have heard their rapid heartbeat in the prevailing silence of the bedroom.

Is this it? Are we really going to kiss now? Is this how my first kiss will go? Ivan asked his heart.

What the hell is happening? How will his lips feel against mine? Will it be different from Aiden's? thought Diana.

"Ivan! What's taking so long? Everyone is waiting for you by the jet," Ruyeli's voice pierced through the other side of the door, followed by the woman herself.

Diana pushed Ivan's hands away and stumbled forward towards her trainer. Ruyeli gave a weird look at the obviously flustered Diana, then another one at Ivan who was standing behind her.

Did I interrupt something? Ruyeli twitched her lips. Were they about to kiss? Did they finally realize that they really like each other? she almost jumped at that thought. She couldn't wait to tell the queen.

Diana and Ivan reached the jet. Ivan hugged everyone but Rain before getting into the jet. He peered at Diana through the window. She smiled at him, showing off her dimples. She realized that her fear became true; she liked Ivan Candelstone, and if it continued, she might end up falling for him.

Ivan smiled in return and turned his eyes towards his phone. He changed his old wallpaper of Rain to the picture of him and Diana taken by paparazzi when they first met personally. She was in his arms.

"I like you, Diana," he mumbled as the jet took off. He knew everything would change once he returned to England.

Rain was too blinded by her love for Ivan that she didn’t notice the sparks between him and his best friend. Everyone could see that they were meant for each other.

Maybe she would understand one day and move on. Jasper glanced at Rain, whose eyes were watery at Ivan's departure.

Suzanne was dragged to one corner by Ruyeli after the jet took off. She couldn't control her excitement.

"They were about to kiss!" Ruyeli clapped her hands as she said this. Suzanne's eyes grew wide.

"Are you serious?"

"Of course!"

"Oh my god!" Suzanne pulled her into a hug. "Thank you so much, Ruyeli! Keep working on what you did. Within these two weeks, try to push Diana's feelings further."

"What about Ivan's feelings? He will be away for the time being."

Suzanne smirked. "I know him. He went on this trip to give himself some space and find out what he actually wants. So, continue doing your work."

Ruyeli nodded.

Jasper heard them. He started muttering as he headed to his room, "Rain is just an innocent soul, who's getting crushed with the hope that Ivan loved her. I know my brother. He thought it was love when he proposed to Rain, but he didn't know the meaning of love until his real feelings for Diana started pouring out of his chest. Where is Rain's fault? Is falling in love a crime?"

Diana was behind Jasper, and she heard the last line. She whispered to herself, "I never believed in love though I respected everyone who fell in love. But I cannot fall for this. What if I really fall in love one day? Would it be a crime?"

Rain locked herself in her room. She looked at Ivan's picture on her phone and smiled as tears poured through her eyes.

"I came here for you, Ivan. I know you love me and will be loyal to me. We will get married, right? Diana doesn't break her promises. I trust her as much as I trust you. You are my first and only love, Ivan Candelstone."

Different people have different perspectives on love, while some try to not even believe in it. Is falling in love really a crime when all know it can happen anywhere at any time?