novelraw 63: Lovestruck, Dumbfounded
63: Lovestruck, Dumbfounded
Kanya:Kanya found herself pacing around her room, wondering why it was taking Kim so long to find her brother. It had been over an hour since they left and still there was no sign of them or at least a call from Kim to let her know that Kit was alright.
Oh god…What if something had actually happened? What if…?
No! Kanya slapped her cheeks to get her out of this stupor. She couldn’t think this way. If something happened to her beloved brother, she would never be able to forgive herself. He was the only family she had left, the only person she loved the most in this world…
Goodness…why had she let him leave the house when she was sure that he hadn't been feeling well? How could she be so dense?
Maybe Kim was right to be angry at her…
She had thought that P’David would drive him to his friend’s house, but it turned out that he had left on his own. That made Kanya feel even guiltier.
She wouldn’t know what to do if she heard that something terrible had happened to her brother… again.
“Dammit!” she hissed at herself. “I shouldn’t have done that! But I wanted him to enjoy his youth; is that so bad? Still… it was dangerous. I should have weighed the risks properly before allowing him to go out this late at night...”
It was an endless heated discussion with herself—useless, but she couldn’t help it anyway.
A knock on the door startled her, and her first instinct was to think that it was Kit or Kim, either to tell her the good or bad news. She rushed to open the door, her heart hammering in her chest in anticipation, only to come face to face with P’Kla.
“P’Kla?” Kanya blinked several times, unsure of what to say or do.
The sight of him surprised her; she had been so worried about Kit that she had totally forgotten about what had happened downstairs a few moments ago. She had not expected him at her door at all.
Thinking about the incident now, however, she felt bad about all the harsh words she said to his face. All of it was true, of course, but she could have found a better way to say them. Despite her frustrations, she still respected him, not only as Kim’s older brother, but as a man she could trust to have her back.
She was about to apologize when Kla beat her to it.
“Can I talk to you about… uh, a few things?” he asked. He looked hesitant, like a lost puppy, and all apologies evaporated from Kanya’s tongue immediately. “There are some things that…I sincerely want you to know.”
“Alright,” she said, swallowing nervously as she stepped aside. “Come in.”
He shuffled inside, looking so awkward that Kanya wanted to laugh. She shut the door behind him as P’Kla inspected her room. It seemed like there was something he wanted to ask.
“What?” she asked. “Are you trying to figure out my whole life story by looking at the way my room looks?”
Kla shook his head. “I’m just curious… if you will be moving into Kim’s room after the wedding.”
Kanya rolled her eyes, wondering if he was still going to take this marriage seriously.
Exasperated, she let out another sigh. “What part of ‘marriage in name only’ do you seriously not get, P’Kla? I plan to stay exactly where I am now, and the same goes for Kim.”
Kla nodded, but Kanya wondered if he truly understood what she said, or if he still thought things were serious between her and Kim. “Then…when are you going to get married to Kim?” he asked, hesitantly. “Since you are already pregnant with his child.”
“What is this, an interrogation? I thought you wanted to talk to me sincerely,” she joked, but when Kla didn’t laugh, she exhaled deeply. “Truth be told, I want to delay it for as long as I can. I don’t want to come between what Kim and Kit have. So if I can wait till I am in the delivery room to sign the marriage license, I’m fine with that too.”
Kla was usually a difficult person to read, but right now he was an open book. He looked surprised, as though he had not expected such an answer from her, which was quite ridiculous considering how many times she had emphasized their arrangement.
“Does that mean you really have no feelings for Kim?” was the question he came up with after moments of stunned silence.
DudeKla only blinked at her, unable to come up with a reply.
“Besides, I have always seen Kim as a brother, so I never had any feelings for him in the first place.” She put her hand on her hips in irritation. “I thought I made that clear multiple times already. Do you have any more annoying questions for me? Huh? Because if you don’t, I suggest that you leave.”
She was about to push him out of the room when he suddenly grabbed her arm. “What are you—?” But she couldn’t finish her sentence because in one swift motion, Kla pulled her close and captured her lips with his own, effectively silencing her.
The kiss lasted for a couple of seconds only, but, man, were those the sweetest few seconds Kanya had ever experienced in her entire life. She was completely floored, rendered speechless for good reason.
Her entire body felt like it was on fire, but at the same time, confusion swirled in her mind as she looked up into his deep eyes, trying to read what was on his mind.
Kla’s usually impassive face was now flushed red, and his eyes roamed her face as if he was searching for something. She didn’t know exactly what he was looking for, but he just might have found his answers because the corner of his lips tilted up just a little.
“I’m not being dense, Kanya, I wanted to hear the whole truth from your lips.” He told her, his voice sounding just as breathless as she felt. “Which is why I can now tell you that…after the baby is born and the divorce is settled, I want to pursue you. So you better not go looking for love anywhere else. Understood?”
Kanya nodded mutely, her heart hammering against her ribcage so hard that she was afraid it was about to burst out of her chest.
With that, P’Kla leaned in once more, but instead of her lips, he placed a tender kiss on her forehead, before he turned and left the room, closing the door shut on his way out.
Kanya all but collapsed on top of her bed, her legs felt like jelly and her emotions a mess. She could blame it on the pregnancy hormones…but it was too early for that…
Still, she was asexual…she had never really felt anything for anyone in her life…not until now, and definitely not sexually. But P’Kla had always been different.
‘So you better not go looking for love anywhere else. Understood?’
Remembering his parting words, Kanya couldn’t help but blush, a light giggle escaping her lips before she covered her face with her hands.
Finally…she understood the reasons why P’Kla had been so grumpy all this time…it was because he thought that the pregnancy was going to change the dynamics of her and Kim’s relationship. But now that he knew, she was relieved.
But suddenly, another thought appeared in her mind, this one more disturbing than the last.
If P’Kla had mistaken her intentions towards Kim…then was it possible that Kit that thought the same? Was that the real reason why he had looked so disturbed this evening?