Amanda's POV

Two words, it just took two words to turn my world upside down. I've been wished 'happy birthday' earlier but this wish scented a new fragrance in my life, precisely my heart. Our eyes collided with each other, so did our hands. His palms rested on the back of my hands.

It isn't the first time he has touched me but it always felt like the first time. My skin craved his touch, my lips craved his taste and my eyes craved his sight everywhere. Love is a four letter word which comes with strings attached, the more you try to unknot it, the more you get trapped.

I gasped, examined him and looked straight blinking a several times. His well-sculpted jaw was sharp, attractive and sexy. His beards were freshly growing. He glued his vision on me, cleared his throat and continued "I can't undo anything and I so wish that I can redo everything. You can't unhate me. All I ask for is tonight and tomorrow. I want your 21st to be the best. Let me"

"Okay", I exhaled as the word slipped out of my mouth. No, it wasn't planned. Maybe it was the innocence in his tongue and honesty in his eyes which passed a signal to my reflexes to agree to whatever he was saying.

This moment, he could ask me anything and I'd be more then grateful to grant him with it. The Aaron Reynolds I knew back then and the Aaron Reynolds I knew now had a vast difference. I could score really good if I tried distinguishing between.

"Okay", he chuckled, his eyes shined and a small smile took birth on my lips which ceased to stop even when I tried tightening it.

He parted his lips as an attempt to speak "How about one slow dance ? ", he interrogated warming my hands with his.

"Count me in", I smiled ear to ear. I unseated myself from the bed and straightened myself and my dress. It was short. I tried stretching it down so as to get back to my comfort zone. Not that he hadn't seen me semi-naked earlier.

He picked himself up, removed the phone from his sweatpants and turned a slow music on. I chuckled looking at him, "couldn't really do justice without music, right?", he rhetorically questioned.

I nodded my head agreeing to it. The song which played was 'Wanted' by Hunter Hayes. "Knew your obsession over his voice", he slightly winked.

"And, how do you know?" I questioned amazed.

He came closer to me, his hands were interlocked with mine and so were our bodies. He settled his hand on my naked shoulder curling it around my neck. I gasped breathing hard. "Stalked your playlist"

"Didn't know you notice me this much"

"More than you can imagine", he grasped me by my back. My hand automatically rested on his chest. I could feel his heart beating. Our nose touched and none of us broke the eye-contact. Every time he travelled his hands through my naked exposed skin, a shiver ran through my spine creating butterflies along with inevitable pleasure.

If only everything he did in the past was an illusion, or a lie. There's one famous proverb in English, which is, 'Forgive and forget', but it can't be practised as easily as said. Like a broken glass, it leaves it's mark and gives you a reminder whenever you look at it.

Everything that don't makes sense about me, makes sense when I'm with you🎶.

He twirled me around through his right hand. I chuckled as I did the same. I curled both my hands around his neck and swayed my feet in synchronization with the music. Our foreheads collided giving me a quick recap of all the dances we had earlier. Everyone of it was acquainted with a sweet memory.

Cause I wanna wrap you up
Wanna kiss your lips
I wanna make you feel wanted🎶

A quick smile escaped my lips. I didn't know 'how long was forever' but this moment felt like it.

And I wanna call you mine
Wanna hold your hand forever
Never let you forget it
Yeah I wanna make you feel wanted

When the music stopped, I encountered a breathtaking view. I saw him smiling, from ear to ear. This wasn't one of those sarcastic smiles but a heart-warming one. "You should try smiling more often", I complimented.

"Then maybe you should always be by my side", I gasped at his straightforward statement. I looked at him and ceased to look away. His words were real. His eyes were a witness of it. Maybe with this dance, he deserves another chance, a chance of forgiveness.

What always matters is the guilt a person encounters after doing something wrong and I could clearly see the guilt through his actions and his eyes. Without expecting anything from me, he was helping me, safeguarding me with everything he had. My heart was fastened and so was my love for him.

"Miss Waters", he broke the silence as soon as the music ended. I looked at him, precisely in his eyes before uttering another word. It was a different feeling right now. I'd laugh with this sinner then rather laugh with anyone else.

My world was collapsing because of the dirt of mixed feelings. I cleared my throat and answered "Yes"

He pushed himself away, away from me. He interlocked our hands whilst keeping his touch, whilst giving me all the feels which could lead to irresistible butterflies. I licked my lower lip as he distanced his lips as an attempt to speak. It felt like he wanted to say something but couldn't.

"What do you want for your birthday", he smiled lightly, his eyes shined as he messily pushed his hair back into a spike.

I gasped, and answered "The truth", I really wanted to know things. If he couldn't provide me with the answer then I was ready to do everything what it takes to lead me to the path of truth.

"I wish I could tell you. It isn't as easy to say as it seems, you'll know it someday but that day wouldn't and shouldn't be your birthday", why was it so difficult anyways. 

I wasn't really in a mood to debate so I didn't dig much. "Coffee?" he tried changing the topic into a completely different phase. I nodded meaning a yes. "I'll bring some then", he turned away loosening his grip over my fingers. He turned around making me face his back.

"I'll come along", I strolled slowly behind him towards the kitchen. Oh, my dress and look wasn't really the 'kitchen type of'. If only I could change into my nightdress because the servants threw daggers at me. On resting out feet on the kitchen's floor, he wore the apron. Was he going to make coffee, really?

He poured milk in the machine, added coffee in the basket and pinched on the button. "I'll handle it myself", he directed the cook to leave the kitchen indirectly. He did the same within a couple of minutes. The coffee was ready. Mr. Reynolds didn't really remove the vessel nor the irrelevant apron.

"Have you tried making it earlier?" I interrogated.

His brows were furrowed. He stared at the machine for a while and then gathered his attention completely towards me. "It's ready, I guess", I broke the silence when he ignored my question. I knew that he had no idea how to really make it.

"I know, I do know", he poured the coffee equally into both of our mugs. He propelled the mug towards my direction. I sipped some coffee, it was without sugar plus he poured some extra coffee which made it taste extremely bitter. "How's it?" he interrogated settling his mug on the kitchen's table.

"I love it", I faked a smile and lies. Some lies were better than bitter truths and this was one heck of a bitter truth.

I closed my eyes whilst gulping the whole of the coffee in one sip. The more time I took, the more trouble my taste-buds would encounter. "I knew it", he winked. After taking a sip, he puked that instant. I laughed whilst taking a view of his facial expressions.

"How did you even drink this shit", he emptied the mug's coffee in the sink. I shrugged looking at him, pouted slightly and replied "I really liked it, to be honest", No I wasn't lying. His efforts proved out to be the missing sugar of the coffee.

After coming closer, bridging the gap between us, he grasped the mug and placed it on the table. "You don't really have to drink this", my back rested at the fridge, his body's intimacy towards mine passed sensations in my nerves. I, without any doubt got carried away.

He, with the tip of his fingers advanced his touch as he gilded them from the back of my fingers till my shoulders. He fixed his hands on my naked shoulders, his thumbs smoothly landed closely towards my collarbones. I gasped, breathing hard.

When there was no space between our noses, I closed my eyes wanting to feel the moment. I stayed still for a moment, he didn't kiss me. He pecked me slowly on my forehead. I opened my eyes that very instant and smiled. I couldn't control but feel. Feel everything, from butterflies to dragons.

Smirking slightly showing off his dimples, he gave me another peck on my left cheek. My heart raced, my lips hurt from being stretched uncontrollably at his unanticipated actions. He slowly advanced towards my nose and then pecked  my chin. "You mean so much to me"

"I do?" I interrogated arching my right brow. A tear rolled through my cheek whilst saying those words. No doubt I had to train them from being so open in front of people, and showcasing me weak.

"I haven't said those words to anyone rather than my mom so of course you do", he picked me up slowly, bridal style.

I curled my hand around his shoulders and rested my head on his chest. This wasn't an illusion, it was real. No dream could be more beautiful than this. Right after he placed me gently on the bed, he surfaced the blanket on my body. He sat closer to me, our fingers intertwined with each others.

"Don't go", I pulled him close through his arms.

"You should probably sleep. It's almost morning", he gave an assuring smile.

"Don't go", I repeated my words. I wanted him to stay with me. We didn't have forever but it felt like it. He nodded agreeing to my statement. After making space for him, I allowed him to sleep next to me on my bed. He did the same.

No, we didn't cuddle each other. Some amount of his touch and his presence was enough to satiate my heart. I blinked a several times looking deep in his blue eyes. I could feel him breathing, and also could sense the amazing cologne he wore. His slowly closed his eyes, and in a while was deep asleep.

I pushed away a lock of his hair from his forehead to have a closer and deeper view of his alluring face. Within moments, I fell asleep. When I woke up Mr. Reynolds was no where around. I slowly opened my eyes and encountered a huge three layered cake next to the table of my bed.

I woke up instinctively and grasped the note. It read "As promised last night", I gently folded it and rethought about his statement which was 'it would definitely be bigger the following morning', I didn't even remember about it. Who was that man becoming and where did he bury the man I knew. Romance was a seven letter word which had no place in his dictionary. I was falling harder, day by day. 

A quick blush escaped my lips on thoughts of him. I knew Mr. Reynolds wasn't a bad man. My heart just needed one proof in his favor so as to trust him again, love him again.

"Happy birthday", I heard a familiar voice. After tilting my chin up, I saw mom and Samarrah coming towards me slowly. Their hands were full of gifts. I couldn't control but grin at their unexpected meet.

Things in my life were getting better day by day. I never heard from James since a long time too. As Samarrah marched towards me, I saw something which definitely demanded explanation. She had a small baby bump which meant she and mom lied to me all the time. 

************

I tried putting feelings as much as I can. It takes me a while to write such scenes. I want them to be beautiful just like every girl's illusion. I hope you guys liked it. More drama, suspense and love on the go. Stay Beautiful, keep reading.