The Romantic Ride

But then his gaze drifts from mine to behind me, his smile slowly fading as he asks, "'Who's he?'"

Then he glances back at me, his eyes narrowing and fixing intensely on mine, as if searching for answers, and I sense a hint of curiosity and a whisper of possessiveness, making my smile widen.

"So tell me, who's he?" Kendrick asks again.

"Uh, he's just a co-"

"How does that concern you, Mr?" Gabriel interrupts abruptly.

I turn to him, frowning. "Watch your mouth."

Gabriel lets out a scoff. "He saw we were talking. Why did he interrupt?"

My frown deepens, puzzled by Gabriel's defensiveness. "Come on, what are you saying?"

"What I'm supposed to. Couldn't he see we're in the middle of something?"

"What are you saying Gabriel, he's-"

"So, because he's fine, he thinks he can come and take what I came for, abi?" Gabriel interrupts.

"Take what you came for?" Kendrick repeats.

I turn to him, my expression softening. "Do not listen to whatever he's saying."

"He's just a course mate, and we were only discussing-"

But that doesn't seem to alleviate Kendrick's concern. "What were you discussing with him?" he asks.

"It's ju—"

"Like I said earlier, it doesn't concern you, Mr," Gabriel interrupts me again.

This time, he surprisingly reaches out and removes Kendrick's arm from my shoulder, and I turn to Gabriel, my scowl deepening.

"What's wrong with you?" I ask, my voice low and even, trying to keep my anger in check to avoid drawing attention from others.

"Nothing is," Gabriel responds, his expression unyielding.

"Tell him to leave. We're not done talking," he adds, his eyes fixed on Kendrick.

"What the hell is going on here?" Kendrick asks, his voice rising.

I turn to him, trying to intervene.

"Kendrick, it's-"

But Gabriel cuts me off. "Just tell him to leave, like I said."

I turn to Gabriel. "What's wrong with you, bro? He's a friend of mine, can't you see?"

Gabriel raises a brow, his expression skeptical. "Friend of yours?"

"Yeah, and he-"

"He doesn't look like a friend. Tell him to leave," Gabriel interrupts.

"You should be the one to leave, Gabriel."

"I won't. When I want something, I must have it, and-"

But before he can continue, Kendrick's voice rings out from behind me.

"Not this one, she's taken."

My eyes widen in surprise as Kendrick's arms encircle my waist from behind, his touch sending a thrill through me. My back presses against his chest, and I feel his warmth envelop me.

Gabriel's eyes narrow, his gaze flicking between Kendrick and me. "What's going on here?" he demands.

I try to intervene, but Kendrick's grip tightens, holding me close.

"Just telling the truth," he whispers in my ear, his breath sending shivers down my spine.

Gabriel's face darkens, his eyes flashing with anger, as he growls, "This isn't over."

With a sudden, abrupt movement, he stands up, and turns to leave.

As he stalks away, Kendrick's arms remain wrapped around me, his touch burning with intensity.

"You okay?" he asks.

I nod, a smile of relief forming on my lips. "Yeah, I am."

Kendrick's arms tighten around me even further, holding me close.

"Good," he whispers, his breath warm against my ear.

"I'm not letting you go."

A flutter erupts in my chest, as kendrick's words caress my ear, and my heart races with excitement.

But I collect myself, and gently extricate his arms from around me.

Then, I turn to face him, and as our eyes lock, my heart skips a beat.

The sudden intensity of his gaze and the playful smirk on his lips send a shiver through me, making it difficult for me to maintain eye contact.

"Come on, let's go now," he says.

Before I can respond, he takes my wrist and pulls me to my feet.

I'm grateful I don't have to worry about embarrassing stains today, unlike yesterday's mishap. My top is securely in place, covering me decently.

But as Kendrick starts pulling me along, my thoughts are interrupted, and I quickly grab my bag, struggling to keep up with his pace.

Before I know it, we're outside, and I spot his sleek black car parked alongside the pathway.

I wonder what make it is, because my lack of car knowledge makes it hard to tell.

As we approach, he presses a button on his key, and the car beeps until we reach the passenger side.

"Get in," he says, and I nod obediently, walking around to the other side.

I open the door and step inside, but my heart skips a beat when I hear a male voice from the back seat.

"Oh, hey, we meet again."

I turn to see who it is, and that's when Kendrick gets into the driver's seat.

I close the door and turn my attention back to the mysterious voice.

"Don't pay attention to him, he'll be out of sight in no time," Kendrick says, but I can't help sneaking glances at the guy who's smiling at me - Emmanuel, the same person who lent me his handkerchief.

Speaking of which, I remember I still have it in my bag, washed and waiting to be returned.

"So Amanda," Emmanuel calls from behind, and I glance at him from the rearview mirror.

"How have you been so far, how's your arm?" He asks.

"Yeah, that's right," Kendrick says, glancing over at me. "Did you get a new bandage on that arm?"

I dart gazes between the two of them as I respond, "No, but it'll heal soon."

"Soon, huh?" Kendrick asks, raising an eyebrow as he pulls up abruptly, causing me to lean forward slightly.

"You gotta buckle up, girl! I'm always forgettin' you don't got your seatbelt on!"

"Uhm..." I let out an embarrassed chuckle, my face growing warm.

Kendrick shakes his head, a playful glint in his eye, and unbuckles his seatbelt.

He leans in towards me, his face inches from mine, making me worry about what Emmanuel might think.

But instead of kissing me, he reaches for my seatbelt, his fingers brushing against my waist.

He slowly pulls it out and clicks it into place, his face still close to mine, making my heart race.

Then, he gives me a quick peck on the lips, sending a spark of electricity through me.

As he pulls away, I snap my eyes open, surprised. I quickly glance over at Emmanuel, but he's already looking away, pretending he didn't see that.

"Better," Kendrick says, buckling his seatbelt.

"I knew something was up," Emmanuel says from the backseat.

"Yeah, you knew 'cause I already told you, man," Kendrick responds.

"Told him?!" I exclaim, surprised, and Kendrick looks over at me.

"Not like I wanted to, in the first place," he says with a shrug.

"Your combo is way better than Kelly's, she's so bossy and annoying," Emmanuel chimes.

"Leave Kelly outta this," Kendrick says, his eyes fixed on the rearview mirror.

"Whatever, bro, I'm just glad you made the right call," Emmanuel responds.

"I'm glad too," Kendrick says, gripping the car lever, and I catch a smile on his lips, making me smile too.

Then he looks up at me. "I'll fix a bandage on that."

"Uhm, no, it's fine, it'll heal fast," I quickly respond.

His gaze lingers on mine before he responds, "It'll get infected, so let me take care of it."

"It won't, I wear long-sleeved tops every day now," I reply.

Then he smirks surprisingly. "You don't want me to do it with him here, do you?"

I pause, caught off guard by the suggestive glint in his eye.

"H—" I start to say, but my voice trails off as I notice him lick his lip and his gaze darting between my lips and eyes.

I know exactly what he's insinuating, and I feel a flutter in my chest.

"Fine," I quickly agree, trying to sound nonchalant despite my racing heart.

"Wait, I don't mind if you guys do anything here. Just pretend like I'm invisible," Emmanuel chimes in suddenly.

"You might as well leave from here," Kendrick responds.

"Don't be too hasty, I'll leave you guys soon," Emmanuel says with a chuckle, leaving me feeling all fluttery at the thought of being alone with Kendrick.

Kendrick shifts his gaze from Emmanuel, and the moment our eyes meet, he flashes a charming smile.

"So, what do you say?"

"I said fine, I'll wear the bandage," I reply.

"Good girl," he says, then reluctantly tears his gaze away from mine and opens a small compartment in his car, pulling out a transparent plastic container.

From it, he extracts a blue container and a cotton ball.

"Roll up that sleeve, will you?" he asks.

I hesitate for a moment before reluctantly rolling up both sleeves, revealing my wound to the stinging air that makes me wince.

Kendrick's eyes lock onto my wound, and he nods thoughtfully.

"Okay, this might sting a bit," he warns, dipping the cotton ball into the blue container.

I flinch slightly as he gently applies the antiseptic to my wound, his touch sending shivers down my spine.

As he works, Emmanuel clears his throat from the backseat, "wahala for who no get love o."

"Shut up, man," Kendrick responds, his focus still on my wound.

"Okay, okay, I'll zip it," Emmanuel says, making a zipping motion across his lips. I can't help but chuckle at the silly gesture.

Kendrick notices my amusement and seems to take it as a challenge.

He increases the pressure on my wound, causing me to wince in pain.

"Ouch!" I exclaim, trying to pull my arm away, but Kendrick holds it firm.

"Was that painful?" he asks, looking up at me with a mischievous glint in his eye and a smirk playing on his lips.

"No, it wasn't," I lie, trying to wriggle my arm free, but Kendrick's grip only tightens.

"Oh, really?" he asks, as he applies more pressure to my elbow.

I try to stifle a cry, but a loud "Ah!" escapes my lips.

Emmanuel chuckles from the backseat, "Be careful with her, Kendrick," but Kendrick ignores him.

"Hurts, does it?" he asks, as he continues to apply pressure.

"Hmm hmm," I nod, the pain becoming too unbearable to deny any longer. I can't help but surrender to the discomfort.

"Hphm," Kendrick murmurs, seemingly satisfied with my honest response.

He releases the pressure, and I feel a wave of relief flood through me. Finally!

"I'll be gentle now," he says, his voice softening as he begins to clean and dress my wound with a newfound tenderness.

As soon as Kendrick finishes dressing my wound, he packs the supplies into the plastic container and returns it to the small compartment.

"Let's go now," he says.

But I continue to flex my arms, testing the bandages, when suddenly, he takes my chin and presses his lips onto mine.

My heart races, and my eyes widen in surprise at the unexpected action.

This is the second time he's kissed me in front of Emmanuel, and yet, Emmanuel remains silent. Is he watching us?

Then he pulls away with a loud click, leaving me breathless.

"Couldn't help it," he says with a sly grin, his eyes still fixed on the road ahead.

My eyes linger on him, drinking in the sight of his profile, until the sound of the engine roaring to life breaks the spell.

As we continue driving, I can't help but smile to myself, a sense of excitement building inside me.

Today feels different, and I can't shake the feeling that it's the day I'll finally say yes to him.