Chapter 203 - A Date After Class (6)

Scarlet could feel it. His eyes were on her again and even if he was trying to be discreet about it, she knew that he was concerned about something. The hardcover was tucked away in Edward's backpack because he insisted that it was heavy and he didn't want to tire her out. Before this, Scarlet didn't know that Edward made plans for this 'sudden' date. However, after seeing how things were going, she had an inkling that some of the things they did were planned.

The finding of the bookshop wasn't in Edward's plans. The crowd that they attracted at the arcade certainly wasn't part of the plan either although Scarlet suspected that ice-skating and lunch was part of his itinerary. If he insisted on carrying the book, he must have more plans for them before the date ends. Scarlet was curious. What else could he possibly be up to? Sure, the date didn't go as intended but on the whole, she enjoyed herself a lot.

Edward shyly reached for Scarlet's hand without looking at her. The tip of his ears were red and his face felt hot but the teen could only think about holding her closer to him. Ever since the time that they entered the bookshop, he had been feeling a little left out. Scarlet hadn't been giving him any attention and while he knew that he was behaving in a rather childish manner, sulking over the lack of attention from his girlfriend, he couldn't help it!

With the boldness of a warrior and the shyness of a panda, Scarlet had to hold herself back from laughing at her boyfriend. Was he really sulking from not having his plans work out the way he intended? Scarlet didn't mind the way things turned out. However, he did owe her a wish now that she won two out of the three kinds of games they played.

"Where are we going?" she asked, breaking the silence and pretending that she didn't see how red his ears have become.

After receiving the attention of his favourite person in the world, Edward beamed like a puppy, happy to see its owner return home after a long day. Was he really that attention-starved? Scarlet felt slightly bad when she saw how happy he was from just a simple question. Claire often said that men in love were fools. She thought that the head maid was referring to Wilmer and she never expected it to be universally applicable to all men, including Edward.

When she first came to know him through Alicia, he was often aloof and mysterious. She didn't think that it was possible for Jedd77 and Edward Bayon to be the same person because of how contrasting their personalities were but now, she was beginning to see the resemblance. Edward really was Jedd and Scarlet giggled.

"What?" he asked, confused to see her reaction. He hasn't said anything yet but for some reason, he felt like she was laughing at him.

"Nothing," Scarlet smiled in a lilting tone and that only fuelled the spy's curiosity.

"Tell me!" he demanded but Scarlet refused and giggled.

Their joined hands never parted even though the couple started to argue a little. Scarlet remained stubborn and Edward remained persistent. They closed the distance between them and their steps fell in sync, slowing down to a halt. With Scarlet facing his chest and looking up into his eyes, Edward finally realised just how close they were with their fingers still intertwined. He swallowed and even Scarlet sensed a change in the mood.

The playful atmosphere from earlier was gone and suddenly, she was very nervous. Edward knew that he was getting glared at from at least three different directions. One of the guards from earlier was nowhere in sight and the spy wondered what happened. Still, if there were guards around, Scarlet was still safe. He hesitated. The mood was good enough for a kiss but if he did that, would the scary head maid come for him?

It wasn't written in the contract that he couldn't kiss her outside of the apartment. It was also not stated explicitly that he could do it either. The contract was very vague and if Edward wanted to be critical, there were many grey zones that would work in the Wilde family's favour. Unfortunately for them, he was Edward Bayon, the world's most notorious child spy. If he didn't fear death, he wouldn't fear consequences.

Being the man that he was, Edward leaned in and held Scarlet closer. He went slow so that Scarlet had enough time to push him away if she didn't want it. He wasn't going to force his feelings on her like a beast. The burning passion in him might threaten to consume rationality but Edward was a firm master in control of that beast. He wouldn't do anything to hurt her, ever. There was nothing scarier than the prospect of losing her because of something he didn't mean to do in the heat of the moment. To everyone else, Edward could lie and tell them off. But with Scarlet, he was going to treasure her with everything he had.

"Can I kiss you?" he asked in a soft voice. He respected her too much to steal what might be her first off-set kiss without asking for permission.

Scarlet felt her face heat up and swallowed, lowering her lashes slightly as she nodded. The gentle wind that brushed past them on the empty street made it look as if Scarlet's hair was trembling in the wind. The anticipation made the three guards tense as they panicked mentally. How were they going to include this in their report without incurring Claire's wrath?

Edward's heart raced and he lifted Scarlet's chin with his thumb and forefinger. Descending like a falling snowflake, Edward planted the kiss on her lips tenderly. Scarlet didn't know when her eyes fluttered close but she felt his eyelashes brushing against her cheek as he pressed their lips together gently. Like the wings of a butterfly fluttering, Scarlet opened her eyes when the warmth left her. They locked eyes for a while after the first kiss they shared and Scarlet understood.

This man was the only one seeing her for who she was. He wanted her, needed her, loved her and was willing to give everything away to have her. Like a dying man in the desert parched for a sip, that passion in his eyes didn't lie. He knew the same kind of hunger she knew, felt the same kind of fears she felt, and experienced the same kind of pain she experienced. 

Psychology was a funny thing. Knowing that you're not alone in this world even though you're suffering was sometimes all you needed to find a hidden strength in you that you never knew existed to shove you along. For Scarlet who had fought the war alone for so long, it was like finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. No wonder scriptwriters always included a kiss scene for couples with a love so deep that could last several lifetimes. Scarlet finally understood the feeling of having someone she could trust entirely.

A kiss. That was all it took. If she knew that her doubts could be resolved from such a simple action, she would have done it earlier.

Edward was surprised when Scarlet pulled him down by his shirt and tip-toed to crash her lips into his forcefully not long after they parted. He didn't know what sort of trigger he hit but Scarlet's feelings were clearly transmitted to him into that kiss. Unlike his gentle peck, Scarlet's kiss was more painful and even violent.

Yet, Edward understood clearly what she was trying to convey. It wasn't a sweet kiss or a sweet romance that Scarlet wanted. Edward could understand the desperation that Scarlet was trying to convey through her actions. The trust she had in him, her expectations of him, the things she needed were clear as day.

Edward winced when Scarlet bit his bottom lip hard enough to leave a mark. It stung like a constant reminder when they parted and the teen didn't mind. Scarlet felt slightly apologetic when she saw the bruised mark but Edward grinned and kissed her hand that was still clasped with his. "Don't apologise," he told her. "I understand."

Those two words made Scarlet feel like bursting into tears. How long has it been since anyone tried to understand her the way he did? Scarlet did her best to keep everything together but there was always that wall separating her and the world outside. It simply wasn't possible for her to belong anywhere. It was hard to believe that somebody else would want her when her birth parents were willing to sell her for money.

Sure, the Wilde family might treat her well but for Scarlet, she would always be eternally grateful to them for giving her a better chance at life. This was a debt she would never be able to repay and in return, that drove a wedge between the relationship she had with them. Scarlet could never confide her insecurities with them the way she felt like she could with Edward.

"So," she smiled, satisfied that they were on the same page. "Where to now?"