The tears wouldn’t stop. It was as if she couldn’t control it. She wasn’t particularly upset with anything. She was even sure she wasn’t feeling anything at the moment. Still, the tears kept streaming.
Grace thumbed over the handkerchief Daniel gave her, conspicuous wet patches now covering almost the entire fabric. She frowned, unable to comprehend why she couldn’t stop crying. She lifted the handkerchief and wiped angrily at her tears. Before new tears could cloud her vision again, she saw that Daniel had offered her a handful of toffees.
“When I was little,” Daniel said in a calming voice, “I used to cry very hard whenever I got injured. My grandfather would give me some toffees, and after I took some, it didn’t hurt as much. I think they also have anti-crying properties,” he said as he took Grace’s hand and pressed a toffee into her palm.
Grace looked up at Daniel, who was smiling kindly at her. Somehow, the toffee seemed very inviting. She opened the forest-green wrapper and popped the candy into her mouth, feeling the sweet warm creamy taste saturate her senses.
“You know, I hate the rain,” Daniel spoke again, ignoring the raised eyebrow on Grace’s face, “the day my grandfather died, it was pouring like nothing I’ve ever seen.”
Grace wiped the last of her tears and turned fully to Daniel now.
“We didn’t have an umbrella,” Daniel continued, tilting his head to look at the stars, “so my mum made us wait out the rain under a pavilion in the middle of a park. When we finally got to the hospital, my grandfather was gone,” Daniel paused here, and Grace saw that he has closed his eyes in a pained frown. Grace didn’t know why he was telling her about his grandfather, but she waited patiently until he spoke again.
“I was eleven then. And as far as I was concerned, the rain took my grandfather from me,” Daniel’s voice still sounded a little strained, “Even after so many years have passed, I still feel that loss whenever it rained.”
He turned to look at Grace now, peering right into the depths of her soul, “Everyone has their own dark memories,” he paused meaningfully as he watched the light in Grace’s eyes dim slightly. Then he said, “I’ve never told this to anyone. If you keep this a secret, then I will also not tell anyone how you cried like a baby in my arms,” the corners of his mouth curved up in a mischievous smirk.
Grace hurriedly looked away. Had she really wrapped herself around him and cried into the curve of his neck? What in the heavens made her do that? Wasn’t she allergic to guys? Oh gosh, this is so embarrassing.
Daniel, on the other hand, was tremendously enjoying the results of his teasing. He never knew how a blush could look so enchanting on her. He brushed her fringe away from her eyes and spoke again, “You can always come to me if you need a good cry,” he paused to smile, “I certainly don’t mind having a pretty girl like you pressed up against me like you did a while ago,” he said cheerily.
Grace bit her lower lip and blushed even more fiercely; unaware of the effects that action was having on Daniel. Daniel stared at her more intensely, feeling like he would do something entirely inappropriate to the girl, and absolutely nothing could stop him. Not even the self-control he has always been proud of. He couldn’t resist moving closer, and closer. The scent of her shampoo seems to allure him even more. He watched as her lips bloom a rosier shade of red from her nibble. Oh my God, Daniel thought, I am so not supposed to do this. And he leaned in closer, angling his chin for a perfect touchdown.
Suddenly, Grace’s mobile phone emitted a loud melody. Daniel pulled back so forcefully he almost fell off the bench.
“It must be your friends,” Daniel said, “they must have been very worried about you.” He didn’t know whether he should curse at whoever sent that text message, or be thankful it stopped him from...…. whatever he was about to do.
He suddenly felt a terrible urge to growl.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Grace thumbed over the handkerchief Daniel gave her, conspicuous wet patches now covering almost the entire fabric. She frowned, unable to comprehend why she couldn’t stop crying. She lifted the handkerchief and wiped angrily at her tears. Before new tears could cloud her vision again, she saw that Daniel had offered her a handful of toffees.
“When I was little,” Daniel said in a calming voice, “I used to cry very hard whenever I got injured. My grandfather would give me some toffees, and after I took some, it didn’t hurt as much. I think they also have anti-crying properties,” he said as he took Grace’s hand and pressed a toffee into her palm.
Grace looked up at Daniel, who was smiling kindly at her. Somehow, the toffee seemed very inviting. She opened the forest-green wrapper and popped the candy into her mouth, feeling the sweet warm creamy taste saturate her senses.
“You know, I hate the rain,” Daniel spoke again, ignoring the raised eyebrow on Grace’s face, “the day my grandfather died, it was pouring like nothing I’ve ever seen.”
Grace wiped the last of her tears and turned fully to Daniel now.
“We didn’t have an umbrella,” Daniel continued, tilting his head to look at the stars, “so my mum made us wait out the rain under a pavilion in the middle of a park. When we finally got to the hospital, my grandfather was gone,” Daniel paused here, and Grace saw that he has closed his eyes in a pained frown. Grace didn’t know why he was telling her about his grandfather, but she waited patiently until he spoke again.
“I was eleven then. And as far as I was concerned, the rain took my grandfather from me,” Daniel’s voice still sounded a little strained, “Even after so many years have passed, I still feel that loss whenever it rained.”
He turned to look at Grace now, peering right into the depths of her soul, “Everyone has their own dark memories,” he paused meaningfully as he watched the light in Grace’s eyes dim slightly. Then he said, “I’ve never told this to anyone. If you keep this a secret, then I will also not tell anyone how you cried like a baby in my arms,” the corners of his mouth curved up in a mischievous smirk.
Grace hurriedly looked away. Had she really wrapped herself around him and cried into the curve of his neck? What in the heavens made her do that? Wasn’t she allergic to guys? Oh gosh, this is so embarrassing.
Daniel, on the other hand, was tremendously enjoying the results of his teasing. He never knew how a blush could look so enchanting on her. He brushed her fringe away from her eyes and spoke again, “You can always come to me if you need a good cry,” he paused to smile, “I certainly don’t mind having a pretty girl like you pressed up against me like you did a while ago,” he said cheerily.
Grace bit her lower lip and blushed even more fiercely; unaware of the effects that action was having on Daniel. Daniel stared at her more intensely, feeling like he would do something entirely inappropriate to the girl, and absolutely nothing could stop him. Not even the self-control he has always been proud of. He couldn’t resist moving closer, and closer. The scent of her shampoo seems to allure him even more. He watched as her lips bloom a rosier shade of red from her nibble. Oh my God, Daniel thought, I am so not supposed to do this. And he leaned in closer, angling his chin for a perfect touchdown.
Suddenly, Grace’s mobile phone emitted a loud melody. Daniel pulled back so forcefully he almost fell off the bench.
“It must be your friends,” Daniel said, “they must have been very worried about you.” He didn’t know whether he should curse at whoever sent that text message, or be thankful it stopped him from...…. whatever he was about to do.
He suddenly felt a terrible urge to growl.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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