Hi guys, I wrote this chapter because a reader requested the last chapter from Ellie's viewpoint. The actual next chapter just needs to be proofread so I'll try to post it as soon as I can.
BTW, this chapter is dedicated to one of my most loyal readers. The reason I hadn't already dedicated to this person was because I thought I'd already dedicated a chapter to them. They are absolutely amazing, leave wonderful comments, make me laugh and are absolutely hilarious, kind and wonderful :) Thank you for being you :) Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter :)
*Beauty*
William Johnson had the most perfect lips on the planet.
I don't say this because I've been staring at them for the last seven years. No, I say this because they were genuinely flawless.
And those perfect lips were kissing me.
William Johnson. Is. Kissing. Me.
Nope, I don't believe it.
I could barely hear my thoughts over the hurricane my heart was brewing in my chest.
His lips were so gentle, almost at odds with his height and muscles. Just the sensation of him touching me made my body feel as if it was being roasted alive, flames licking at my flesh. And yet, I enjoyed it.
My hands gripped his shirt, both to keep myself upright as well as to keep him close. Blasts of electricity fizzled up my arms.
Slowly, his fingers caressed my skin, sliding up my face and into my hair. Every stroke of his fingers sent electric sparks into my scalp. My hair had spilled from my ponytail, now covering his fingers. I probably looked like a mess, but I couldn't register that. Not now.
Will was touching my hair.
His other hand was arched over my back, probably the only thing preventing me from collapsing into molten liquid.
Nerves danced up my spine. Was I kissing him right? What the heck were you thinking Ellie? Just kissing him without his permission? Ugh, what if he didn't want you to? What if he hates you now?
His fingers on my back moved, rubbing comforting caresses down my spine. Like air, my nerves dissolved into nothing. What was I thinking about again?
I leaned into his hands, feeling warmth permeate every inch of my being.
I think I'm going to have a heart attack.
Will.
Oh my goodness, I'm kissing Will.
This was a fantasy. It had to be.
Suddenly, I felt his tongue swipe across my bottom lip. A blast of electricity jumped down my body, frying any errant thought. My lips parted  and I tasted the spearmint warmth of his breath.
Before I could even consider what I was doing, my hand slid up his chest, then up his neck. Where our skin touched, my flesh burnt. Finally, my hand coiled  into his silky hair. The hair I'd dreamt about for seven years. It was every bit as soft, if not softer, as I had imagined.
He pulled me closer, the hand at my back gentle as it nudged me towards him, till our bodies almost touched. In some far away periphery of my mind, I remembered we were still in his car, separated by the car gears. But that thought vanished as my other hand wrapped around his back. I could feel the muscles through his sweater.
Wow, I think I'm burning alive.
Fantasy or not, this moment was flawless. Every shift in his movements, every direction his lips brushed mine, brought any thought or idea tumbling down. There was just him.
Him kissing me. Now and forever.
For the barest second, I heard the sound of a vibration. What was that?
I ignored it, feeling another blast of electricity when he pulled me closer.
The noise came again, louder. A phone, my blurred mind managed to register.
I felt Will sigh against my lips.
Then he pulled away. His arms were still around me, holding me up while simultaneously turning me to liquid.
Slowly, my eyes opened. The mist cleared, as if I were waking up from the most perfect dream.
My eyes widened instantly.
Will was looking at me, peering at me with those shockingly piercing emerald eyes. I noted every detail on his face: those sultry floor length lashes; the billions of facets that suddenly made his glasses-less emerald eyes sparkle despite the darkness; the slightest furrow between his brows as he looked at me, trying to figure something out. Then the way his lips burnt a darker red than usual and the slightest glimpse of red on his skin.
Goodness, he was beautiful.
Hot? That word would never be good enough to describe the perfection that was William Johnson.
I could feel my face burning as I tried to catch my breath.
But, woah. Just, woah.
I could taste his breath in the air, mingling in the inch space between our lips. Wow, even his breath was perfect.
I couldn't believe it.
I told him I liked him. I told my seven year crush I liked him.
And he liked me back.
Perfect.
Everything felt so completely perfect.
If this was a dream, I refused to wake up. Like, ever.
Suddenly, too quickly, he pulled back. His fingers fell away from me, leaving me suddenly freezing. Reluctantly, I released him.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. I watched him as he stared at it for a short moment.
He sighed. "I should take you home soon."
Icy wind hit me.
I gnawed on my bottom lip, staring down at my fingers, now back to twisting around each other. Tentatively, I glanced up at him. I don't want to leave. I don't want this to end. "I don't want to go home yet."
What the heck Ellie? You sounded like such a child!
But, I didn't want to leave. I didn't want to return to reality.
Silence.
My heart pounded as I waited for his response, waited for the rejection.
Then he nodded and relief poured through my chest.
Wait a second...what did that nod mean? Yes, we could stay together? Or, I accept that you don't want to go but you don't have a choice? Will, stop being so confusing!
I watched as he put his glasses back on, sheathing those beautiful emeralds. He turned to the wheel and started the car.
I tried to breathe. I brushed my hand over my hair, trying to make the mess appear halfway decent. Every few seconds, I'd glance over at Will and freeze, taking in his lean form, his flawless face, beautiful eyes... Then he'd catch my gaze and I'd look quickly away, my face blazing hotter than the sun.
Wow, I was so embarrassing.
And he was so beautiful.
Suddenly, I felt warmth on my hand. My eyes widened as his fingers slipped into mine, sending electric spurts through my arm and into my torso. Tentatively, I intertwined my fingers with his, struggling to breathe as every individual finger brushed one of his, sending another blast of heat down my spine. His skin was so smooth, so flawless. He held my hand gently, as if I was some delicate jewel that would shatter if he held any tighter. Yet, his hand still felt firm. His hand was so much bigger than mine, fingers deft and strong. It felt as if my fingers practically melted in his.
The world blurred out of focus.
Of course, Ellie. Only you would faint because Will was holding your hand.
William Johnson.
William Johnson was holding my hand.
This was too perfect to last.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him smile, and my whole body froze. The grin lit up the car, the road, the sky. The grin burnt an impression into my memory that I could never forget. It transformed his face completely, making him look younger, innocent.
Wow.
A flash, a quick image of a ten year old Will jumped into my mind.
I'd found him beautiful then.
But now...words couldn't describe what I was seeing.
William Johnson.
Dream or not, this was something I would never forget.
*
The car stopped. I blinked out of my daze, wondering how long we'd been driving or where we were. My eyes widened as I peeled my gaze off Will, staring out the wind-shield.
Embedded in an almost empty parking lot, was a red brick building. The front was glass, peeking into a diner style restaurant. The Sweet Plaza was spelt across its ceiling, set sparkling by hundreds of minuscule light bulbs.
Will's voice pulled me out of my daze. "Have you been here before?" he asked. The sound of his voice rumbled through my entire frame.
I shook my head before glancing up at him. "My mom's very dedicated to healthy food," I explained.
Understatement of the century. If my mom knew I was in a mile radius of this place, I would be grounded for the remainder of my life.
I'd seen this place so many times on family trips to the airport. Each time, I'd practically salivated all over the glass. It had become a personal dream to visit this place. My father would have taken us, if my mother hadn't sworn an oath to divorce him if he dared feed us what she described as 'evil.'
It wasn't the only think I liked that she disapproved of. Trust me.
Abruptly, excitement danced up my spine. I bit my lip as I glanced up into Will's beautiful face. "I've always wanted to go here though." I hesitated. "C-can we go in?"
My mother would kill me if she ever found out.
His reply was so simple but sent another jolt of joy through my chest, "Sure."
His fingers left mine. Immediately, it felt as if ice had grown over my fingers. I watched as he gracefully slid out of the car and made his way to my door, pulling it open.
He was so perfect.
He offered me his fingers. In the corner of my mind, the thought popped out: maybe you shouldn't do that Will, I may never give you your hand back.
I felt my face burn as I slipped my hand into his, feeling another dose of that electricity pulsing up my arm.
I practically staggered out of the car. Will caught me, a hand carefully holding my waist, keeping me upright.
My face was going to catch fire the way it was burning. "Sorry," I squeaked.
Wow, you're embarrassing, Ellie.
His lips twitched and my face burned hotter.
He intertwined his fingers with mine before shutting the door to the car.
Ellie, can you stop being so completely brainless, please?  So far, you've proved yourself incapable of  walking and closing a door.
Gently, he tugged me towards the restaurant doors.
He could probably hear the way my heart thumped relentlessly. Just holding his hand had a massive effect on me. Suddenly, I wondered if he could hear that I was practically panting from nerves. I held my breath, then tried to breathe slowly, regularly. It didn't work.
Goodness, Ellie, you are so amazingly unbelievably embarrassing.
I stared at the ground, gnawing on my bottom lip.
Will could do so much better than me.
I smelt sugary sweets as soon we entered. The scent of vanilla, chocolate and sugar settled into my bones, relaxing me. I glanced excitedly around the inside of the restaurant. It was empty of any customers. Everyone was probably at the festival. The only person in the restaurant was a pretty waitress who wasn't looking in our direction.
Will led us to a booth at the end of the restaurant. I sat down first, watching as he slid opposite me.
I really wished I was sitting next to him, feeling the heat of his shoulder against mine...
His fingers left mine again and I felt instantly cold.
Will placed a menu in front of me, distracting me from the loss of his touch.
My eyes widened as I took in the images of chocolate, and sprinkles and brownies and cake. The words flooded my mind: Chocolate, ice cream, molten cake, sauce, sugared....
I was salivating.
Will's voice snapped me out of my daze. "Is there anything you want?" he asked.
Everything.
Before I could stave off the torrent, I was gushing, picking out the most amazing looking ones of the bunch. "The Super Chocolate Nutty Surprise milkshake sounds delicious. And the Double Chocolate Cookie Dough sounds so amazing! But I'd love to try the Chocolate Vanilla Nut Sundae, it looks awesome!"
I glanced up, taking in Will's watchful gaze, his twitching lips.
I blushed.
"Sorry," I mumbled. "I'm totally blubbering."
Seriously, Ellie! Now he thinks you have a food obsession! Which you do, but still....
Then he did something that made me stop breathing altogether.
He chuckled.
No way.
The sound was the most beautiful thing I'd ever heard. It was deep and rumbling and danced down my spine and over my skin.
My mind repeated the sound in my head, trying to understand how that peal of laughter sounded so absolutely amazing.
His smile faded, a furrow appearing between his brows. "What is it? What's wrong?"
Abruptly, I realised I'd been gaping. I snapped my lips shut. I ducked down, hiding my suddenly burning face. "N-nothing," I forced out.
Tentatively, I looked up at him. He was looking at me, still confused. "You don't laugh very often." I nervously picked at a strand of my hair. "It's nice," I mumbled.
Okay, enough creepy for one day Ellie.
He didn't say anything, the furrow between his brows growing. He frowned, his expression even more confused.
Then suddenly his fingers touched mine. He picked my hand up delicately. Slowly, he brushed the barest and lightest of kisses on my palm.
The following jolt of electricity was not light.
Red burnt my fingers. I blushed.
Suddenly, I heard someone clear their throat, snapping me out of my Will-induced daze.
A waitress, dressed in a purple top over red shorts, looked down at us. Her top read, in glittering red letters, 'The Sweet Plaza.'
She smiled, though her eyes showed she was clearly uncomfortable. "What can I get for you today?"
Privacy, so I can kiss the hottest guy on the planet, thank you very much.
I ducked my head. I couldn't decide whether or not to stick out my tongue at her for interrupting us or to simply be embarrassed that she'd caught us.
Then Will's voice. "The Super Chocolate Nutty Surprise milkshake, the Double Chocolate Cookie Dough, the Chocolate Vanilla Nut Sundae and a coffee, black, please."
I gaped. Did he just...?
"Will!" I squealed. "Don't order all of that. I can't pay, I left my purse with Gemma and the others."
My purse was still safely tucked in Justin's car, from when he'd driven us to the festival.
A smile stretched onto his face and I blinked rapidly, for a moment succumbing to what I had now dubbed the 'Will daze.'
His voice was soft, imploring. "Let me pay, please? To make up for Catherine ruining your clothes."
I felt myself sinking further into the 'Will daze' as his eyes pored into mine, almost begging me to agree. Internally, I exhaled, feeling myself melting.
What did he want again? It didn't matter. You can have whatever you want Will. You can have my house too, my friends, whatever you want...
I internally shook myself, trying to clear away the daze.
"Will!" I protested.
"Thank you for the order," the waitress said. "It should be ready shortly. Enjoy your date." She turned, striding quickly back to the front of the restaurant. She looked relieved, as if she were--
Wait a second.
Pause.
Rewind.
Did she say...date?
Date.
She'd said date.
As in, I, Ellie Kent, was on a date with the representation of perfection, William Johnson.
Impossible.
....Right?
Date.
Was this a date?
Was I on a date with William Johnson?
My heart stopped altogether before pounding back to life. My gaze leaped to Will, who was staring at the waitress, brows furrowed, that cute confused expression back on his face.
I could feel my face burning.
His gaze met mine, catching mine. I took him in, his perfect dishevelled hair, his neat clothing, his beautiful flawless face. He was still wearing that soft red sweater over back jeans. Still perfectly dressed despite the hectic evening.
Abruptly, I remembered how I looked. Wearing his shirt over my jeans. My hair, messy, spilling over my shoulders. No make up. The faint scent of puke probably drifted off me despite the time I'd spent scrubbing it out.
Groaning, I ducked my head, burying my face in my hands.
His voice was soft. "What's wrong?"
"This is our first date and I look absolutely horrible," I grumbled. "I mean, who gets puked on before their first date?"
Yep, only I could screw up such an important day.
He laughed.
I froze, feeling the sound rumble through my chest, my limbs, my face.
Wow.
Unable to resist, I peeked up at him from between my fingers. He was leaning down on his hand, elbow balanced on the table, watching me with a sparkling smile and glittering eyes. He looked like a model for perfection.
The words tumbled out of my lips before I could stop them. "You're so mean, Will. Why are you the only one who gets to look hot?"
I froze.
Did I just call him hot?
Out loud?
The burning in my face was equivalent to a billion suns.
I buried my face back into my palms.
Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid Ellie!
"How  embarrassing," I gurgled.
He chuckled again, the sound pulsing through my flesh. I resisted the urge to glance up at him, to look at his beautiful face.
Instead, I tried to stave off the warmth in my face. I needed to stop blushing. Like now.
Then his voice, soft, gentle. "I think you're adorable."
Did he just call me adorable?
Nope, I imagined it.
I looked up at him, unable to resist. My skin reached a new level of warmth.
For a moment, I could just stare, gaping.
"T-thank you," I finally mumbled through my fingers.
He chuckled again and I all but imploded.
The waitress arrived later, placing a tray of food on the table. My eyes widened as I took in the melting cookie dough, the freezing sundae and the chocolatey milkshake.
"Thanks," I heard Will murmur to the waitress.
I blinked out of my food induced daze. I'd been too busy staring at the food to say thank you. Before I could say thanks, she was gone.
This must have been expensive.
Guilt gnawed at my chest.
I was a horrible date.
"Oh Will," I breathed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made you buy all of this."
Even now, he tried to be comforting. "You didn't make me. I wanted to."
Wow, I didn't deserve him.
I jolted in surprise when I felt fingers on my jaw. Will lifted my chin till our gazes met. My heart stuttered before pounding harder.
"Please eat it." His voice was so soft, like a caress over my entire body.
I couldn't move, unable to peel my eyes from his face.
How the heck was I meant to resist him when he spoke to me like that?
Dazed, I nodded.
My gaze dropped to the food. For a moment, I tried to figure out what to try first. Finally, I decided on the sundae. I scooped out a small bite, tasting it. I hummed as the flavour of vanilla and chocolate cream touched my tongue
So delicious.
I glanced up at Will. He was watching me, a slight smile on his face. Blushing, I looked away quickly.
So embarrassing.
Why was he so amazing? It wasn't fair to any of the girls on the planet.
The sound of my phone chiming distracted me.
I frowned. I pulled out my phone from my jeans pocket and swiped the screen.
Gemma's text caught my eye:
Hey, Beauty, where'd you go?
I bit my lip.
I went on a date with the most beautiful human being on the planet, I thought.
She'd probably have a heart attack if I told her that.
"It's Gemma," I told Will. It felt rude to use my phone while we were together. "She wants to know where I am."
I glanced up at him. As soon as my gaze touched him, my face burned again and I dropped my gaze.
"I'll just tell her I left early," I breathed.
I typed out a reply:
I left early. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?
My phone chimed again, vibrating in my fingers:
All right Beauty, see you soon.
I slipped the phone into my pocket.
I glanced up at Will from beneath my eyelashes. Instantly, my face burnt red and I glanced back towards my food. Would I ever be able to look at him without blushing?
Every glance brought back the memory of his lips on mine, soft, gentle, and yet blazing a path of destruction in my chest.
I jabbed at my food.
"I wonder what they're doing right now," I mumbled as I stared down at the heaps of chocolate sauce. "I hope Gemma and Tyler finally talked it out." I scooped out more ice cream. The sundae got colder the deeper I went, a detail that made it that more delicious.
Gemma needed to tell Tyler how she felt. Abruptly, I remembered how I'd told Will I liked him. I blushed, avoiding Will's gaze.
"Hmm," Will replied.
"I think Madison and Layla were having fun. But Layla gets bored really easily." I licked my spoon, mentally imagining the faces of my best friends. "I'll ask them how it went tomorrow."
Suddenly, I blinked out of my daze as my gaze fell on Will's cup of coffee.
Wait a sec...
"Is that all you bought?" I asked. Panic seeped into my chest. "I'm such a ditz." I pushed some of my food towards Will. "Have some, please."
His lips twitched and I had to blink to clear the approaching 'Will daze.'
"It's alright," he replied.
How could he be so kind?
Guilt gnawed at me. "I can't be the only one eating," I complained.
His fingers brushed my face. The touch was so light but sent a blast of electrical heat down my skin.
"I like watching you eat," he replied, his voice so quiet I could barely hear it.
I couldn't move. I'd stopped breathing altogether.
He did not just say that.
Nope, I'd imagined it. It didn't happen.
My face boiling, I went back to jabbing at my ice cream.
"Is it good?" he asked.
I hummed, unable to contain my smile. "Delicious! You should try some."
Then before I could even contemplate his movement, I felt his fingers on my face. I inhaled sharply when I felt his thumb on my lip, swiping away a stray crumb. I glanced up, my eyes locking with his. Slowly, languidly, he brought his thumb to his lips, licking off the traitorous chocolate.
Internal explosion.
"Hmm-mm, delicious," he agreed.
I gaped.
Despite the burning on my face, I couldn't peel my eyes off of him.
I touched the side of my lip.
Wow, Ellie, how many times do you plan to humiliate yourself today?
"I'm so embarrassing," I mumbled.
"Cute," he replied. And then he gave me that chuckle, the one that rumbled straight into my chest.
Bravely, I shot him a glare, just before my face went back to burning.
I huffed. "It's not fair. You're always so calm and collected around me. While I..." I waved my arms. "I'm always a bumbling idiot. This is so humiliating."
No matter what situation we were in, Will was always perfectly composed, perfectly calm. And I... was nothing but molten lava.
He grinned. "Trust me," he said softly, "I'm never calm around you."
I don't believe that.
Yet, I still felt warmth pour through my chest. I giggled.
Will grinned back at me and I felt my skin warm in happiness.
He was perfect. This was perfect.
I couldn't stop looking at him, examining his beautiful face. I heard nothing, thought nothing. It was just him.
I wanted it to be like this forever.
Suddenly, he froze, and his gaze shifted to something behind me.
I frowned. "What is it?"
*
Hi guys! Sorry for the late update! I hope you enjoyed this chapter.  I'm hoping to publish the next chapter later today hopefully, fulfilling one of the things I told you I would do. Remember when I said I'd upload two chapters in one day? Anyway, I've been trying to catch up on comments I haven't replied to. I don't know if anyone has noticed this but I usually reply to inline comments first before the chapter comments.  So sometimes  I don't notice  some comments until months later. With the new wattpad format, I can reply more quickly so I'm going backwards and replying to the comments I haven't seen. Sorry for my lateness :{
If you liked this chapter, please vote, comment and share ;) I hope to see you guys soon :D
God bless
xxx
Yemi Everest