I interrupt the ‘kiss-moment’

I hailed a cab and soon arrived at Agnes's place. Bursting through her door, I engulfed her in a tight hug, a gesture that seemed a bit silly since we just saw each other yesterday.

"Hey, what's up?" I asked, plopping onto her bed and bouncing slightly.

She grinned in response, mirroring my excitement. "Not much. So, what's the plan?"

I shrugged, the possibilities dancing in my mind. "Whatever works, I guess. But we definitely need to be careful. He's not exactly the friendliest guy."

Agnes raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "Seriously? I thought he'd be kind of gentle."

I burst into laughter, the memory of my previous 'escape-gone-wrong' still fresh in my mind. "Trust me, 'gentle' is not a word I'd use to describe him. He nearly shattered me into pieces the last time I snuck into his house."

Agnes made a face, clearly taken aback. "Wow, okay then. But I really need that bracelet back. It's super important to me."

I nodded in understanding, knowing the sentimental value the bracelet held – a piece of her mother's memory. With a sigh, I stood up, ready to do this. "Shall we?"

We slipped into Ryan's building, our movements cautious and our senses heightened. This time, everything seemed to be going smoothly. We found the bracelet, just within our grasp, when suddenly, the front door swung open.

My eyes widened in panic, and I instinctively darted behind a nearby wall, my heart pounding. Agnes, unfortunately, wasn't as quick and had already been spotted by Ryan.

I thought he would lose his temper like the last time he caught me sneaking into his place, but to my surprise, he was doing the exact opposite.

Instead of anger, he seemed to be flirting with Agnes. My mind raced, my thoughts swirling in confusion. "What the heck?" I muttered under my breath.

From my hidden vantage point, I watched as Agnes nervously smiled, standing in the open doorway, her cheeks tinged with pink as she tried to maintain her composure under Ryan's unexpected attention. His usually stern expression had softened, replaced by a playful glint in his eyes and a crooked smile that probably sent her heart racing.

"Agnes, right?" Ryan asked, his voice surprisingly warm.

She nodded, her voice slightly breathless as she replied, "Yeah, that's me."

Ryan extended his hand, his lips curling into a charming grin. "I'm Ryan, your errr.. neighbor. Pleasure to finally meet you properly."

Agnes took his hand, her handshake a tad shaky as his firm grip cause features to brighten in a way. "Likewise."

He wasn't going to ask how she got inside his house?

I baffled, trying to suppress a chuckle.

I watched as his eyes flickered to the bracelet on her wrist, a small smirk forming on his lips. "Nice bracelet."

Agnes's fingers instinctively brushed against the bracelet, her cheeks flushing as she nodded. "Yeah, it belonged to my mom. I accidentally left it here yesterday."

"Yesterday?"

He raised a brow and she stammered. "Uhm.. I..cam..e here..to…"

He put her struggle to rest. "You sneaked into my house, just you're doing now"

I rolled my eyes from where I was peeping. He made sneaking into his house so romantic but yet, the other day he wanted to kill me.

"So, what brings you here?" Ryan leaned casually against the door frame, his posture relaxed as he kept his attention on her.

Agnes shifted nervously, her fingers twisting a strand of hair. "Well, I... I came to get my bracelet back."

His lips quirked into a playful grin. "Ah, I see and that's all to why you are here?"

Cliché

I thought.

Agnes chuckled, her tension easing from his jokes. "Seems like it."

Ryan gestured towards the living room. "Would you like to come in? I mean, walk around"

He corrected and Agnes hesitated for a moment before nodding, her curiosity obviously getting the better of her. She stepped into the spacious apartment, her eyes wandering around the well-furnished space. "Wow, you have a nice place."

He grinned, his confidence evident. "Thank you. It's been a work in progress."

"Oh come on, you are modest" Agnes replied softly. He took a step closer, the space between them shrinking. "You know, I've been curious about you since the first time we met."

Agnes's cheeks flushed, her pulse quickening as she met his gaze. "Curious? Why?"

Ryan's voice was low, his eyes intense. "You're not like anyone else around here. You have this... energy, this spark."

She swallowed hard, her breath looking caught in her throat. "I could say the same about you."

A playful smirk played on his lips. "Really? So, I intrigue you?"

Agnes bit her lip, unable to tear her gaze away from his. "Maybe a little."

Their eyes locked, the tension between them rising. Honestly, I thought I was watching a movie right now.

As the seconds stretched, Ryan leaned in slightly, his voice a mere whisper. "Maybe we should get to know each other better, Agnes."

Her heart seem to race, her breath shallow as the weight of his words settled inside her. my voice sliced through the tension like a blade. "Hey!"

Both of them turned towards me, their expressions vividly different. Agnes looked grateful while Ryan seemed annoyed as his eyes walked over me. Ryan's proximity to Agnes receded as he straightened up, his lips curling into a tight poise.

"Long time no see, Ryan."

I met his gaze with a knowing glint in my eyes, my smirk practically shouting "I caught you." The timing of my interruption seemed to suggest that I had intentionally chosen to interrupt their moment.

Agnes shot me a grateful glance, clearly relieved by the unexpected rescue. Ryan's composed exterior seemed to waver for a moment, but he quickly masked it with whatever.

"Is this now a regular thing? Strangers breaking into my house"

I scuffed, crossing my arms, leaning against the wall with a nonchalant behavior. "You didn't seem to think that some seconds ago"

Ryan's lips twitched, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. "Agnes was just looking for something she left behind."

"Ah, I see," I said, my tone dripping with feigned innocence. "Well, isn't that convenient? Finding lost treasures 'together'."

Agnes's cheeks flushed as she gave me a playful glare. "Oh, stop it."

I grinned, thoroughly enjoying my role as the disruptor of what had been an almost-kissed moment. "Don't mind me. Continue with whatever you were doing."

Ryan's gaze flickered towards Agnes, their unspoken conversation evident in the shared glance. He then turned back to me, his tone measured. "We were just wrapping up, actually."

I gave him a slow nod. "Great. Don't let me keep you from whatever bonding experience you were having."

Ryan's smile remained tight, his eyes giving away little. "Of course not."

As he began to step away, I couldn't resist one last dig. "It's nice to see neighbors becoming fast friends."

Ryan's polite facade faltered for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Indeed."

With a parting nod, he headed back into his apartment, leaving Agnes and me alone at the doorway. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, her relief obvious.

"Thanks for saving me back there," Agnes said has we made our way outside.

I shrugged, my playful smile lingering. "No problem. I have a knack for impeccable timing."

Agnes chuckled, her good mood restored. "You definitely do."

We fell into an easy banter, trading light-hearted remarks as we made our way back to the street. The earlier tensed atmosphere had dissipated, replaced by a more comfortable one between us.

As we walked, Agnes turned to me with a quizzical expression. "You know, it's weird. I thought Ryan would be angry about me sneaking into his apartment again, but he was actually... nice."

I raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in my eyes. "Nice? Are you sure we're talking about the same guy?"

Agnes chuckled, her tone light. "Yeah, I know it sounds strange. But he was different, somehow."

I nodded, pondering her words. "People can surprise you sometimes."

Agnes shot me a teasing grin. "You sound like you're warming up to the idea of him."

I rolled my eyes, my smirk returning. "Please, I'm just stating the obvious."

As we continued our banter, I couldn't help but wonder about the enigma that was Ryan and what might go on between him and Agnes in my absence.

I couldn't be so sure.