Chapter 9:Second Kiss!!*

Ashley brightened. "Deal! After the party, we can go our separate ways. You can go back to whatever you do, and I'll go back to my normal, perfect life."

'So you're telling me I messed up your perfect life.' He thought but didn't call her out on it. Not that it mattered, after this favour, he would never interact with her again.

With a satisfied smile, Ashley checked the time. Her chauffeur wouldn't be arriving for another hour. She stood up, her high heels clicking against the floor, her short skirt swishing as she moved. Then, she sat back down right next to Elijah.

Elijah gave her a strange look. Ashley, seeing his confusion, gave him an exasperated glance. "All my friends are going to be watching me kiss you, including my whole circle. I can't show them a sloppy performance, so we need to practice before the party."

Elijah sighed, recognizing the logic in her argument. "Fine."

Ashley thought inwardly, 'Why do you look so reluctant to kiss the hottest girl in school?' She honestly couldn't read Elijah, he was so different from the men she normally interacted with.

She felt Elijah's hand come up to hold her face, his thumb caressing her cheek. The hot feeling she had in her chest that day on the roof came flooding back, butterflies tumbling in her stomach.

She placed her hands on her thighs and leaned in as Elijah captured her lips for the second time.

This time, they took things slower, really getting used to each other's presence and touch. They were still new to this, and they needed time. They had one month to get it right, so there was plenty of it.

Slowly, after five minutes, the kiss became more intimate. Ashley found herself initiating more, holding Elijah's neck to pull him in deeper. The intensity between them grew, their bodies instinctively moving closer.

At some point, they lost track of time, and Ashley found herself sitting on his lap as he treated her lips like ambrosia. Each kiss was deeper, more passionate, and more meaningful.

After thirty minutes, they finally stopped to take a breath, their foreheads resting against each other. They looked into each other's eyes, both breathing heavily.

Ashley blushed, this really was a crazy situation...but it was also kind of exciting, it was so different to how her life normally was.

"I think that's good enough for today," she said, slightly breathless.

Elijah nodded, unwrapping his arm from around her thin waist. He had unconsciously decided to hold her like that, but it felt the most natural while kissing her.

Ashley hadn't said anything, so she must have been okay with it. He couldn't believe how much had changed in just three days.

After two uneventful years in high school, he suddenly had a magical app that gave him rewards for completing tasks or punishments for refusing.

And because of that app, he now found himself in a peculiar relationship with Ashley Queen, the daughter of a multi-millionaire and one of the most beautiful and popular girls at school.

If not for the pain of pinching himself, he would have thought this entire thing was a dream or a simulation.

Ashley slid off his lap, smoothing her skirt. "Can I see your phone again?" she asked.

"Sure," Elijah replied, handing it over.

Ashley fiddled with his phone and then looked up at him in disbelief. "You don't have any social media accounts? Not even one?"

Elijah shrugged. "I get by with a good book and this magical thing called newspapers."

She shushed him, placing a finger on the lips she had been kissing moments ago. Elijah, feeling playful, stuck out his tongue and licked her finger. She shivered, then pulled her hand back, reprimanding him. "Don't do that!"

"Then don't shush me," he shot back with a grin.

She snorted, rolling her eyes. "Fine, let's get you set up on Instagram." She quickly created an account for him, but then paused, a look of realization crossing her face. "I just realized... I don't even know your first name. How bad is that?"

Elijah chuckled, feeling slightly embarrassed himself. "It's Elijah. Elijah Woods."

She nodded, typing it in. "Of course, I remember you mentioning Woods. All right, Elijah Woods, welcome to Instagram."

She chose an anime profile picture from his gallery, making him smile. "Okay, now let me show you how to use this app like an expert."

Ashley talked him through the basics, explaining how to post pictures, like posts, and follow people.

She followed him and had him follow her back so they could easily text each other through the app.

As she explained, she did so with the ease and confidence of someone who had been using social media for years, making Elijah feel like he was getting a crash course from a pro.

Just as they were finishing up, Ashley's phone rang. She answered it, her tone shifting to one of authority. "Yes, I'll be right out." She hung up and turned to Elijah. "My chauffeur's here."

Elijah stood up with her, and as she grabbed her bag, he handed her a Tupperware container filled with spaghetti and meatballs. "Here, take this."

Ashley looked surprised. "Huh?"

"You seemed to enjoy the food, so why not?" Elijah replied with a smile.

She took the container, genuinely touched. "Thanks, Elijah."

He walked her to the door and watched as she left, waving goodbye as she got into the car.

Once she was gone, he felt a sharp pain in his head. He groaned, clutching his temples. Just before she left, he had received another scenario from the app and had rejected it, leading to yet another killer headache.

Ashley's visit had confirmed something important: no one else could see the app or its notifications but him.

When the notification had popped up on his phone, Ashley hadn't reacted at all. He had even asked her if she saw it, but she just gave him a confused look.

Now, he really wished he had looked through the app options and tutorials when he had the chance.