The first caress

"Do you like me?"

He was startled by her unexpected question. He detached himself from her to look into her eyes. The answer was a simple YES or NO. Indeed it was a yes but it took him three long weeks to realize, know and accept it. A conflict of three long weeks between his mind and heart. A battle wherein he lost himself and won the precious feeling of love... the love for her. He didn't only like her. What he felt for her was far more than he himself expected it to be, even beyond his own imagination. He never realized when and how he started falling for her and why. He just found everything right around her. Eventually when he realized that she was the one for him, he had already fallen hard for her and was falling for her more if it was even possible.

When he didn't answer even after a few minutes, Anna poked his chest and asked again.

"Do you like me Regan?"

"Why did you ask? Why do you want to know?"

"Beeeecause Chase... Chase told me that you like me that's why. Buy if you dooooo, you shouldn't."

"There is nothing in you that I won't like Anna."

"That means you really like me?" She blinked her lashes to clear her blurry vision. "Then would you leave me too like everyone did? No no no... I am not going to talk to you anymore. And stop liking me."

Regan frowned on hearing her. "It would be the last thing that I would ever do. I won't leave you. Ever. I had already told you this before."

She held his hands that were still cupping her face.

"Everyone says that Regan but they don't keep their promises. Mumma, Daddy, Ashton....everyone left me because they loved me. First they liked me then loved and left me alone... I miss them too much that it hurts. Youuuuu... are my only friend. I don't want to lose you too."

His heart clenched on hearing her words. Her drunken state and slurry speech couldn't hide her agony. However, her words stunned him as he knew about her parents death but had no idea about Ashton's absence in her life. He certainly noticed it before but owing to his own feelings, he never really bothered to miss his presence around her. Numerous questions ran through his mind.

'Did Ashton left her?"

'Did he hurt her?'

He gritted his teeth thinking about him hurting her anyway.

"Anna... where is Ashton? Did he hurt you? I have never seen him with you before. Aren't you together?" He asked curiously.

She smiled. "You wouldn't see him because he is not here with me but that doesn't mean we aren't together. He loves me too much to hurt me. How dare you think like that?"

"Then where is he?"

"Very far from me."

"Are you in a long distance relationship?"

She giggled. "Yep! A very very very long distance relationship. A very long distance. I want us to be together like before but he is too far and I miss him so much Regan."

"Why doesn't he come back to you then?"

"He can't. Even if he wants to. It's me who has to go to him. But I have so much to do.... for those he left behind. Butttt.... I would go to him one day." She smiled again while he skipped a heartbeat.

The mere thought of her leaving him, the thought to never see her again, the thought of his life without her filled him with an uneasiness that he couldn't put in words.

He didn't know if he would ever get the chance to speak his heart out to her. He didn't know if she would remember his words the next morning after she would wake up. He just wanted to tell her about his feelings that were erupting in his heart at that moment forgetting about everything else. He wanted to cure his uneasiness that surfaced on the mere thought of her leaving him one day.

"I don't just like you Anna." He muttered softly holding her gaze to see her reaction.

"You sure? See! I told him you don't like me but he didn't agree and called me naiiiiive."

"Who?" He frowned as he couldn't understand what she was talking about.

"Chase."

"The one you met at the club?"

She nodded her head. "Yep! He was Ashton's best friend."

"Oh!"

"But you don't like me? Really? You are sooooo bad Regan. How can you not like me? We are friends and friends like each other. I am not gonna talk to you."

He smiled on hearing her. Earlier she wanted him to dislike her but she also wanted him to like her at the same time. He cupped her face again and said looking into her eyes.

"I don't just like you Anna. What I feel for you is beyond liking. I just don't want to lose you..... ever. Even if it means to keep my feelings within me or keeping myself away from you. I feel scared to say you anything because I know, once I'll start I won't be able to stop myself from saying every single thing that I feel for you."

"Then don't."

"What if you won't like my answer. What if you will hate me after knowing what I exactly feel about you? What If I would hurt you with my...?"

She cut him off and startled him by placing her tiny hand on his mouth.

"I know you would never hurt me. You would neither hurt me nor you would allow anyone to hurt me. I trust you Regan and I know you would never let me down. Although you are intimidating sometimes, but that's okay."

"Am I? I thought you were the only one in this world who don't get intimidated by me."

"Yep! you are. Annoyingly intimidating and you know what? I don't like the intimidating or brooding Regan, I like the cute and sweet Regan who takes care of me and makes me feel safe."

He was amused on her thoughts about him and a bit shocked too.

"You like me?"

She frantically nodded her head. "Veryyyy much. You are so gooooood. So cuuuute. So sweeeet."

"I am happy to know that you like me but cute and sweet.... Ugh... that's not me. I am anything but cute and sweet. Never!" He stated making a disgusting face and she chortled.

She pinched his cheeks. "But you are."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes"

"No"

"Yes"

"No"

"Yes"

"Anastasia stop saying me that or else..."

"Or else what?" She teased him more.

He smirked and brought his hands forward and started tickling her. The atmosphere lightened up from being all palpable to something warm and cheery with her giggles and laughter. She somehow dodged him, moved away from the bed and started running around the room with him chasing behind. However, he took no time to catch her.

He held her waist to swirl her around to face him. Both were laughing forgetting about everything. It was Regan who first felt their proximity as Anna was still inebriated and was not in her complete senses. However, her carefree laughter that echoed in the open space stirred something inside him and he felt himself losing his own senses mesmerized by her charm and beauty.

They didn't realize how but she was caged between his tall frame and the wall behind, her hands above her head with his arms that had locked them in a firm grip. She was breathing heavily due to running around, with a layer of sheen that gleamed on her forehead. Her lips were slightly parted making her more alluring than ever before, drawing Regan more towards her.

He felt himself inclining closer towards her, with his heart beating faster and faster. She was drawing him towards her with her ocean blue orbs and he couldn't help but obliged and felt himself succumbing to his own desires. He was so close to her that he could inhale her minty and alcoholic breathe making him lose his every determination to stay away from her. Her sleepy eyes were closing, her sweet lips puckering up and all the other sounds of the world went silent when his lips slightly brushed hers... unmovingly, softly, delicately..... just like butterfly wings. And somewhere below that, his own heart reacting. Not a thump exactly, not even a leap but a swish of excitement and other....fear. It was almost like a caress stating his adoration and amorous love for her.

It seemed as if he was utterly enraptured in her trance and left everyone and everything behind him, losing himself in the moment. But the moment didn't last long as he was brought back to reality by the loud and continuous ring of his phone.

He had just touched her soft, warm lips with his, not daring to really kiss her, as he was dreadfully afraid that he might go too far and would cause her to start back in revulsion. However the moment he felt them, he forgot everything and was about to leave his inhibitions by deepening the kiss when the trance broke and he abruptly departed himself from her... thinking about his act. He felt culpable and guilty, shocked on his own actions and lack of self-restraint. He looked at her in search of any traces of anger but was dumbfounded to see that her eyes were closed. It hit him hard when he realized that she had already fallen asleep while he was.....

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath taking her in his arms, with her head resting on his chest. Her words ringed in his mind repeatedly.

'I trust you Regan.'

'I know you wouldn't let me down.'

'I know you would never hurt me.'