Chapter Five (UNEDITED)

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"The best feeling in the world is kissing someone for the first time, when you've really wanted to kiss them for a long time." --- from: Style Estate, Pinterest

Stella

Eight Years Earlier

I was so embarrassed that I wanted to cry. I hoped a UFO would arrive at that moment and a very bright sucking blue-ray light would appear and take me out of that situation.

Oh God, help me....

The kitchen lights turned on.

I ran to the kitchen sink and washed the facial mud mask off my face. I even used the dishwashing soap to remove the hardened mud out.

This is so humiliating, a deflated feeling. I grabbed a paper towel and wiped the water off my face.

I shyly turned around and saw Tristan already looking at me. My breath quickened and my cheeks became warm.

Tristan instantly laugh. He laughed out loud at me, bending over and holding the sides of his belly with his hands. He was gasping for breath because of uncontrollable laughter.

My embarrassment was immediately replaced with annoyance. How could he? He was laughing at me. Hmp!

"Will you stop laughing at me?"

"Oh God... I've never laughed so hard in my life... I couldn't help myself.... I've never seen anyone... looking so... ridiculous. You looked like one of the zombies in the Walking Dead TV series." He said, still laughing in between his words.

"Okay fine. I'm glad I entertained you. Goodnight." I snapped angrily at him then headed back to Mia's bedroom. The attraction I felt for him suddenly faded. A zombie, huh!

"Wait, Stella." He said, still laughing.

I was surprised that he knew my name. I faced him again - frowning.

"You know my name?"

"Who wouldn't? Mia kept on talking about you." He grinned then grabbed a chair behind a table and sat down.

"Really? Why?" I moved closer to the table and clasped my hands to the chair opposite to where he was sitting. His gaze immediately run over me in a leisurely sweep.

"She worships you. She talks a lot about you. How smart, rich, fashionable, talented and pretty you are. She thinks you're perfect."

PERFECT. Since birth, I was trying to achieve being a perfect daughter. It was what my parents molded me to be.

"Me? Perfect? That's funny."

"Yeah, it is. Perfect is boring." Tristan's eyes slitted.

Perfect is boring? Wait until my parents hear you say that!

I pleased my parents for being perfect. Polished, cultured and aristocrat with royal blood, who never went wrong in using a cutlery in any course.

"So, you're not vain?"

"Vain? Of course not. I have lots of flaws." I lied.

"Well, this will be a first time for me. I've never met an extremely rich girl who is not a supreme narcissist before." He drank his milk.

I just shrugged my shoulders and smiled at him.

"Oh... I'm sorry, do you like some milk?" He asked me.

"No, thanks. Actually, I'm thirsty." I moved towards the fridge but Tristan went ahead of me. He took a bottle of water and a glass.

I sat down on a chair looking at Tristan who was pouring water to a glass. He looked so sinfully gorgeous standing there - half naked. I stared at his abdominal V lines, which was angled at my eye level. Gosh! My heart contracted. What a beautiful sight.

He shove the glass of water towards me. "Here." Then he sat down opposite me.

I drank the water slowly. My eyes never leaving him - and he was looking at me in odd silence.

"How old are you?"

Fifteen. No... sixteen... um... eighteen?

I wanted to lie about my age. I exactly didn't know for what reason... maybe, I was hoping for him to like me if I was older and nearer to his age - legal to have a boyfriend.

"Fifteen." Yes, I told him the truth. I couldn't lie. He would find out anyway from Mia.

He took a deep breath then exhaled heavily before he stood up abruptly. "Go to sleep, it's past midnight."

Is he dismissing me? I think that's rude. Did I say something wrong?

Instead of going to Mia's bedroom I went to the fridge and scan the contents inside. I saw a box of Oreos and took it out.

Tristan's eyes followed my movements.

"Um... I'm hungry." I said to him, trying to sound so innocent.

His face diverted to the living room, where my two big luggages were. "Are those yours?"

My eyes opened wide. I nodded then put a whole Oreo in my mouth.

"Did you run away from your home?"

I shook my head.

"Are you moving in here?"

I swallowed hard, feeling embarrassed again. "NO! I'm... I'm only staying for a night."

"A night?" He chuckled then left me alone in the kitchen.

Oh-oh... He doesn't like me.

Since our first meeting, Tristan gave me an impression that he didn't like me. Whenever we met, he just nodded at me. Sometimes, he ignored me as if I never existed. I wondered why? I haven't done anything wrong to him and Mia. He just decided to dislike me.

I was hurt and felt so offended. I didn't understand him. What's his problem? He's acting so immature... I wonder if he's gay.

Days turned to weeks... to months and years. The attraction I felt for Tristan faded. I started to dislike him too, immensely, to the point that I hated him already - but I decided to be civil about it.

***

When I turned eighteen, I had a grand debut party. It was a very big event that almost all the extremely rich people: blue-blooded families, celebrities and famous personalities all over the world gathered.

I invited Mia and Tristan.

It had been a long time since I saw Tristan, almost a year. I heard from Mia that he already graduated flight school and he was now working in an airline company.

Tristan looked so different now. I hardly recognized him. He resembled a suave, sophisticated posh guy from a GQ magazine cover now. Gone was the rugged guy who wore faded ripped jeans and old shirt with messed up hair.

But one thing that didn't change in him - his oozing sex appeal.

How many women had fallen for that lethally gorgeous face and impossibly sexy body? That compelling brilliant blue eyes that made any girl's knees weak.

Oh! I cringed at the thought of how I had fallen for his charms once. But I swore, I would never ever fall for him again.

"Hello, Stella."

I turned around to see Tristan looking at me, smiling.

A miracle just happened. He was actually smiling at me, for the first time in years. No nods, no shrugs and not ignoring me as if I didn't exist. I wondered if he skipped breakfast and lunch OR, he was drunk.

"Hi." I looked up at him. He was so tall. Despite my five-inch stiletto heels, he was still towering me.

"Happy birthday."

"Thanks." I answered.

"You look very beautiful."

"Thanks." I gave him a sarcastic smile.

He looked around the grand ballroom and said. "Umm... nice party."

"Thanks."

He chuckled. "Is that all you're going to say to me, thanks? You must really hate me."

"Isn't that what you want? You didn't give a reason to like you at all." I snapped at him.

Tongue-tied with eyes wide opened. He looked like he was splashed with very cold water.

"Speechless, huh?"

He looked around again then said. "I have my reasons."

"What reasons? I'm sure you won't tell me. You just decided to dislike me."

"Shh... not here, Stella." He said while looking at the other guests around us. Then drew me towards the balcony, where we were alone. He guided me towards the end of the railings where no one would see us.

"I don't understand. I haven't said anything against you or Mia. I tried my best to be a good friend to her." I said the moment we were alone.

"I know."

"Why do you hate me so much?"

"I don't hate you." He said immediately.

"You don't have to pretend, it's too obvious. You avoided me as if I have a contagious disease."

"God knows I didn't want to avoid you."

"Don't you ever involve God into this." I blurted at him.

"I'm sorry. I..." He groaned and grabbed my arm in an instant. Then he swung me towards him, in the circle of his arms.

My heart skyrocketed and my pulse was beating so fast. I stood frozen on the floor. My whole body from the tip of my toes to the tip of my hair trembled. I was electrified.

The feel of his arms around me, his body touching mine was so oozingly delicious that all my nerves and cells tingled. The sensation it brought to my body was so new that I didn't want it to stop. So earthshaking.

"I'm sorry. I was a coward and very insecure. I was still struggling and fighting to become independent. I lost my mom and dad... and then there was Mia. I didn't know what I felt anymore at that time." He put his head against mind and our breath mingled.

"What are you trying to say?" I was confused. I didn't understand what he was saying.

"The first time I met you, that afternoon in your school, I pretended not to notice you." He shook his head and smiled. "I told myself, you're just another rich pampered pretty girl. But, I couldn't understand why I kept on thinking about you. All... all I've ever think about was you. How you looked that day, so beautiful like an angel walking towards me. You took my breath away... and turned my world upside down. I tried to fight my feeling towards you, but it was so hard." He touched my hair, my cheek, then my lips.

"Tristan... I was thinking of you too. I felt the same way."

"Really?"

I nodded and smiled at him. I felt so happy at that moment. I couldn't believe that he felt the same way like I did.

"I'm tired of fighting anymore Stella. I decided to stop the battle between my mind and my heart."

Tristan held my eyes then slowly his face came nearer. I didn't know who initiated first but our lips instantly met.

He kissed me briefly and gently. My first kiss.

His scent... his touch... and his taste... ohhh God. I'm melting.

***

"Stella, you didn't tell me that you know Tristan Latsis." My dad, Rafael Valiente said while we were dancing in the grand ballroom.

"You know Tristan?"

"Of course. That boy is extremely rich. No doubt the wealthiest here in this room, even the entire planet."

"What? You're wrong dad. Tristan is Mia's stepbrother. He's not rich. He used to work in a ranch training horses." I informed him.

"Yeah, before he got his inheritance a few months ago. It was his father's wish for Tristan to finish college and learn to live independently. He believed that the more struggles his son got, the more he would succeed in life." Dad swayed me around the dance floor and I just followed his steps.

I was dumbstruck. I couldn't believe what dad said. Tristan is extremely wealthy? No, not Tristan.

"Oh, it's Eros turn to dance with you, princess." Dad interrupted my thoughts and gave my hand to Eros.

Eros Petrakis. The guy my parents wanted me to marry. He was the son of famous Greek businessman billionaire Markos Petrakis.

Eros was about twenty two years old. He was tall, tan with magnificent physique - very handsome with magnetic silvery eyes. His profile was sharp and confident. He had long dark brown hair tied in a knot behind his head and oddly long mustache.

"Hello, Stella. May I have this dance?" Eros asked and held my hand softly.

"Of course." I was still disoriented. What my dad said about Tristan made me so confused.

Eros guided me to the dance floor. He held me closely to him and together we swayed in rhyme with the music.

"I salute you Stella." He grinned at me. "Because... you were able to convince my cousin to come here tonight."

"Huh?"

"You see, he never attended any social gatherings, events and parties. He prefers to stay out of public. But now, wow.. it's the first time I've seen him attending a huge party like this."

"Well, good for him... um... who's your cousin?"

"Tristan Latsis."

I was shocked again. First, that Tristan came from a wealthy family, then now, he was Eros cousin. What other secret would I find out about him, I wondered.

Before our dance was over, I saw Tristan at the corner of the room staring at us. The next moment I looked at the same spot he was standing... it was empty.

Later that evening, I realized. He left without even saying goodbye.

What is wrong with him now?

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Love and kisses,

Neilani Alejandrino

a.k.a.

sweetdreamer33