I don't know what to say," I whispered, my voice caught somewhere between wonder and hesitation.
His arms wrapped around me like silk, warm and steady, and for a moment I let myself melt into them. It felt like the safest place on Earth, like I could breathe, finally, after years of suffocating in expectations and silence.
"I want to stop," I admitted, my breath trembling against his shirt. "But my body wants more."
His thumb grazed my back in slow circles, coaxing out shivers I didn't know I had buried.
I lifted my head slightly, eyes searching his. "Is it time to say goodbye to these lips that have never tasted anything but words? Or… should I follow you, step by step, and see where this leads?"
Charles didn't speak. He just looked at me, deeply, intently as if my entire existence was some riddle he had waited his whole life to solve. Then, with a slight tilt of his head and the faintest smirk, he said, "Only if it's what you want, Melody. I'll never rush you."
That made it worse, in the best way. The gentleness, the restraint. The way he gave me the freedom to run away, while silently hoping I wouldn't.
"Thank you for this beautiful dress," I murmured, barely able to meet his gaze. "They fit perfectly… like they were made for me."
"They were," he said, his smile deepening. "I wanted you to feel seen by the world the way I see you."
I tried not to blush, but it was impossible. My cheeks betrayed me, pink and hot.
I stepped back just slightly, still held by the gravity of him. "The past few days… my mind's been a whirlwind," I said, my voice barely above a whisper, "I've thought of you an unhealthy number of times, and I don't know why…"
He leaned in, slowly, tenderly, until our foreheads pressed together.
"So instead of fighting this, I want to see where it goes. With you," I finished, locking eyes with him, heart thudding so loudly I thought he might hear it.
His breath brushed against my lips, slow and uneven. I could feel him hesitating, his fingers tensing gently at my waist like he was holding back an ocean.
"I've been waiting for you to say that," he murmured.
And just like that, our breaths mingled. He closed the final space between us, not with force, but with a reverent slowness that made time crawl. His lips brushed mine, soft at first, like a whisper of promise. Then firmer. Deeper. Real.
My hands instinctively found his chest, feeling the steady hammer of his heart beneath layers of fabric. My fingers curled into him, and his hands moved to cradle my cheek with a tenderness that unraveled me.
The kiss grew, like a fire catching wind. Every second, a flame leaping higher, consuming doubt and fear and logic. My body leaned into his, and he met me with equal urgency, yet still held me like I was breakable.
His fingers slid through my hair, and I gasped into his mouth, barely able to keep up with the way it felt, the dizzying pleasure of being wanted, of being seen.
He pulled back slightly, our lips still grazing. "Is this okay?" he whispered.
"Yes," I breathed. "Yes, it's more than okay."
He kissed me again, slower this time, savoring. Like he had all the time in the world. And with each movement, each press of his lips, each subtle graze of his fingertips down my back, I felt pieces of myself returning. Not the broken pieces. The ones I didn't know I had lost.
When he finally pulled away, just enough to look into my eyes, he exhaled like he'd been holding his breath for days.
"I wanted your first kiss to feel like a beginning," he said.
"It does," I replied. "And it's beautiful."
There was a pause. A silence that held more emotion than a thousand words could carry. I leaned my forehead against his chest, laughing softly through the tears welling in my eyes.
"This is madness," I said. "I've known you for what, days? And yet I feel…"
"…like we've met in another life," he finished.
I nodded slowly, heart full.
His arms wrapped around me again, tighter this time, and he rocked us gently side to side. "I don't care how fast it feels, Melody. When something is real, time doesn't matter."
I closed my eyes, letting the scent of his cologne and the rhythm of his heartbeat sink into my memory. I could still feel the heat of his mouth on mine, and even now, the ghost of his touch traced along my skin.
We stood there, tangled in each other, both afraid to break the spell.
"I don't want tonight to end," I said, my voice cracking.
"I want to you hold you close, like this for the rest of my life."
And with that, he leaned in again, not to kiss me this time, but to press his lips gently to my forehead, sealing something fragile and unspoken between us.
The world outside might be chaos, but in that moment, in that room filled with the hush of new love, everything made perfect sense.
I should get back in before anyone starts noticing my absence," I said softly, but the words felt heavier than they should've.
He didn't reply right away, just held me there, locked in the stillness between two heartbeats, as if letting me go would undo all the magic we'd just shared. His silence spoke volumes: he didn't want to let go, not yet.
His arms stayed firm around my waist, unwilling to release me to the world outside.
"When will I see you again?" he asked finally, his voice low and hoarse, like it ached to keep me close.
I tilted my head, looking up at him with a playful smile, even though my heart was anything but calm. "You always ask that," I said, lightly teasing, "and still, you find a way to get to me whenever you want…"
We both giggled, softly, privately, like two kids hiding in a secret world only we understood. But even that laughter couldn't shield the heat curling in my chest.
I slowly stepped back, letting my hands slide down his arms until all that connected us was our fingertips. I held onto just his veiny, warm hands for a moment longer, memorizing how they felt around mine,strong, safe, grounding.
"You always have a way of seeing me," I whispered, meaning more than I was willing to explain. "I'll be waiting."
I leaned in impulsively, my lips brushed his cheek, warm and feather-light. I barely made contact before I turned and dashed toward the door, heart racing so fast I could feel it in my fingertips. I didn't dare look back, afraid of what more I'd want if I saw his face again.
Just as I reached the door, breath caught between a sigh and a laugh, his voice called out behind me.
"You're mine now, Mel."
The words hit me like a gentle wave, powerful in their confidence. I froze for a split second. There was something about how he said it, not possessive, but full of promise, like he wasn't claiming me, but choosing me. Us.
He blew me a kiss.
I didn't need to see him to know the way his mouth curled when he did. I could hear the smile in the air, feel it echo through the room and down my spine.
Without turning around, I reached for the doorknob, still breathless. I lifted my hand in the air, invisible to him, but full of all the affection I carried in my chest. I blew him a kiss back, then pushed the door open and slipped out like a girl with a secret too tender to share.
The hallway was quieter now. Dim lights flickered overhead. Just moments ago, I had been nervous and out of place, full of fear, crushed by pressure. But now… my skin tingled with energy. My lips were swollen with memory. My heart? A riot of emotion, pacing wildly inside my chest.
I had kissed him. I had let myself fall.
And I had felt what it meant to be truly wanted, without judgment, without fear.
Every step back toward the hall felt like floating. I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, trying to calm the crimson flush I could still feel blooming on my face. My fingertips brushed my lips, as if trying to remind myself that yes, it really happened. That softness, that heat, that dizzy surrender, it wasn't a dream.
As I rounded the corner, the distant hum of the crowd buzzed louder. The show must still be going on, but I had stolen a moment no runway spotlight could ever match.
Just as I reached the corridor that led to the main hall, I paused by the mirror. My reflection looked different, softer, more radiant. My eyes held something unspoken. Not just love, not yet. But something bold and blooming.