Chapter 29 The quiet kind of falling
Chapter 29: The Quiet Kind of Falling
“Silly me. Crying even though I’m happy.
I’m just glad you don’t have to worry anymore.”
Allan couldn’t explain the pull he felt. Maybe it was her tears, or the fact that she had been there through everything.
He moved closer, gently wiping the tears from her eyes. Then slowly, carefully, he leaned in.
He could feel her breath. Smell the hint of strawberries she must have eaten.
His face was inches from hers when he suddenly froze.
Mr. Varney was standing right there.
“Allan,” Varney said, expression unreadable. “Am I interrupting something?”
Allan shot up instantly, stepping back as if burned. “No, sir.”
Ignoring Golden’s embarrassed look, Varney turned to him.“How’s your brother?”
“He’s much better, sir. The doctors cleared him today. I have to go, I’ll see you around, Golden.”
He left without looking back.
“Send my regards to your brother and Florence.” Varney called after him.
Golden wanted to scream. One, she’d cried in front of Allan. Two, he’d almost kissed her. Three, VARNEY RUINED EVERYTHING.
“You look like you’re about to kill me,” Varney said, sitting where Allan had been.
Golden glared, rolled her eyes, and picked up her book, dismissing him.
He plucked the book from her hand.
“Gigi…”
She groaned.
“I know you’ve liked him for a long time. I just don’t want you to get hurt,” Varney said.
“It took everything in me not to go after him the day he stood you up in front of the whole school. I don’t think I can be that nice again.”
Golden scooted closer and slipped her arm around him.
“Things are different now, V. We didn’t know each other before. But these past weeks… I’ve seen the boy behind the mask.”
“I don’t know what this is,” she admitted. “Or what we’re doing. But I want to see where it goes. So let me, okay?”
Varney kissed her forehead. “Fine. But if he hurts you, he’s dead.”
“Okay.”
The days that followed felt… new.
Golden had never been more aware of Allan. Not because he suddenly became cheerful but because he let her see him. The real him.
He exhaled differently when he walked into the lounge, like the air was lighter around her.
He only settled into the couch when she sat beside him. He didn’t say the words. She didn’t either.
But everything between them simmered. She realized she was falling for him, hard.
They spent an afternoon by the koi pond, their new favorite place.
Allan sketched quietly while nibbling cookies.
Golden held a novel, pretending to read while stealing glances.
“You’re staring,” Allan murmured.
Golden jerked. “No, I’m not.”
“You are.”
“I’m reading.”
“You’ve been on the same paragraph for fifteen minutes.”
“Maybe it’s a very deep paragraph.”
He smirked that heart-melting, arrogant smirk.
“What?” she snapped.
“Nothing. You just… look calmer these days.”
Calmer? HER?
“How?” she asked.
Allan shrugged. “Dunno. Maybe it’s… this.”
“This?”
“You.”
He said it so casually she almost missed the weight.
Her heart performed full gymnastics. She stood and ran. Allan burst out laughing.
Later that evening, Golden stepped onto the porch. The estate glowed warm and golden.
Allan leaned against a pillar, earbuds in, eyes closed.
As if sensing her, he opened them.
Hand in hand, they walked toward the gate.
At the fountain, Allan stopped, turned, and gently cupped her face.
The world went still.
“Allan what's wro...”
He closed the space between them and kissed her. Swallowing the words she was about to say.
The kiss lasted for a while and before Golden could get into it, he broke it off.
He held her face and said: “Thanks for being there for me.”
He brushed a light kiss on her temple and then walked away like he had not just shattered her world...