Chapter 8: Hints of a smile
The next day Cole found an excuse in his office just to stay at home with Claire.
When she woke up and she walked to the dining room she was taken aback seeing him there, she expected to be alone like the first few days she spent there.
Cole was making omelets for breakfast, he snapped the pan making the omelet flip around and then get back on the pan in a practical fall.
"Good morning," he said smiling.
Claire blinked and stretched her hands as she yawned, "morning. I thought you were at work."
He shook his head, "Tuesday is my free day besides Sundays, you have to get used to it."
He joked but Claire sighed, how was she supposed to ignore him if he did everything in his power not to help her in her purpose?
"Oh no," Cole exclaimed, "We ran out of berries. Want to come with me to get some?" He flashed a big smile.
"Go get dressed up."
Claire went to her room and changed her clothes then she did a quick skincare routine and walked back to Cole.
"Good." He said before walking out of the villa and reaching his garden.
So many fruits plants and vegetables grew there, the house covered his huge garden.
He grabbed some berries and poured them into a basket, then he pointed at the apple.
"Do you want some apples?" He asked.
"Peaches!" She pointed at the peaches and Cole bit his lips not to chuckle at her tone which reminded him of a kid who saw candies at a store.
She walked through the garden and the more she walked the more plants she found, it seemed infinite due to its vastness.
When the garden was over a new side of the house was discovered by Claire, a huge pool with even desert sands to the side and a workstation bar to order drinks. On the other side there were soccer and beach volleyball fields.
She widened her eyes barely believing what she saw, how rich was that man?
He pointed at the sun high and shining in the sky,
"The sun is good today. I often find myself staring at the sun and thinking of the past. Would you like to do that with me?" He asked Claire.
Claire was even more confused now, what an odd request to ask.
"Watching the sun?" Claire repeated to herself yet it still sounded weird to her but he smiled and nodded his head. He looked at the sun and then closed his eyes to take a deep breath.
"When I need certainties I just look at it, I see how it's still there, despite the weather changing and the rains. Sometimes people forget about the sun and its importance. They forget that thanks to it they are alive and existing. Yet the sun doesn't give up, and it's still here."
Claire was once again confused, she didn't follow him, what had the sun to do with her?
She had never seen anyone interested in the sun before, what did it have so special?
"Don't you think it's beautiful?" Cole asked.
"The sun?" She knitted her eyebrows down.
"Yes, the sun Claire. Look at it."
She turned her gaze to the sun's direction barely holding the stare as the sun's light was very strong to endure. Almost hurting her eyes and forcing her to thin her eyelids to keep looking. The light was so powerful that her sight was compromised by white spots which remained and affected her sight leading her to depart the gaze.
"It does hurt, but despite the pain it carries, I still hold onto it, hoping that one day the light will hit the surface and finally reveal a bright future.."
Claire remained silent, still unaware of the deep meaning those words truly meant for him.
"We should get back inside unless you want to stay here a bit…"
He said noticing how Claire wasn't replying to his thoughts.
"We can stay here, I like it here." The words slid out of her tongue genuinely and involuntary as if she couldn't control them.
She just knew that one side of her for some inexplicable reason she couldn't comprehend yet kinda wanted to stay there with him.
"I am sorry for the kiss," Cole said, his voice seeming saddish but not much remorseful. As if he was sorry for the consequences of that action and the effects on her but not for doing it.
"You put me in a weird situation with my boyfriend," Claire answered releasing a deep sigh that came from the bottom of her chest.
"I know I did. I just …." He stopped himself before he could reveal too much information.
"I liked you as soon as you stepped inside my house."
She departed from his gaze to look down at the grapes plants.
"Well next time you like someone I suggest you not to kiss them randomly or you could end up in jail soon."
He laughed it off at her statement but she couldn't be more serious and frowned. "I mean it." She said.
"You're an exception, Claire. I haven't had a girlfriend for two years."
"Oh…" she sounded surprised, how could a wealthy handsome boy like him lacking girls? Maybe he was the kind of boy who didn't want to get hurt.
"Oh?" He chuckled, "why do you sound sorry about it?"
"It sounds weird, wealthy successful man single for this long."
She spared him of the handsome part not to look pathetic.
He raised an eyebrow, "what's wrong with that? I have my garden, my liquor collection in the attic, and piles of documents to keep me company at night." He winked.
A hint of what looked like a smile appeared on her lip.
"So is this the reason why you kissed me? Unable to control your hormones after two years? Hence, the first girl you see you kiss her?"
Was that a joke? It was the first joke she did in days she had been there. Maybe slowly she was opening up to him.
"Maybe yes." He sighed, "this is why you should forgive me, it's not my fault. It's the primal needs driving me insane."
She shook her head and once again the hint of a smile curved her lips.
God, how much he loved that smile, giving her mature beautiful face a sweeter look as if whenever she smiled a child version of her morphed her facial traits. She looked younger and innocent and she was so damn breathtakingly beautiful that he wished he could kiss her again. Kiss every inch of her skin until she smelled like his fragrance and he smelled like her.
"Shut up!" She complained, rolling her eyes and chuckling.
"What about you?" He asked her, "before my brother did you have anyone else?"
She stopped to giggle just to think, focusing to remember her past before Brendon.
-- Gift
received