Chapter 98 - 98: The Ball IX
Serena could always feel his eyes when he was looking at her. So, she just knew that he was there, staring. Then, their eyes met. She saw that he was pleading with his eyes, but she chose to turn away from him.
Instead of just getting the dance over with to let Charlton explain, she chose to become more daring. She stepped a little closer to Geoffrey than what was deemed appropriate for the dance. Geoffrey on his part did not fail to meet her expectations. He pulled her closer to him, close enough that her breasts were almost touching his chest.
In any other occasion, Geoffrey's personality would not allow for something this inappropriate. However, he too was drunk with the euphoria he was feeling. She was beautiful, too beautiful, and she was accepting him, or so he thought.
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When the song ended, the cloth covering the dome was parted, and the first firework lighted the night sky. Serena turned to look up like all the other students. Then, she saw Geoffrey staring down at her. He was smiling and she felt that the moment was just right. She knew that Charlton was still staring, and maybe that was what pushed her to do something even more stupid.
So, she chose to smile back at Geoffrey, move her face closer to his and then she made her lips touch his.
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Geoffrey was surprised, but he was a man. So, what would he do when the girl who he likes and was also his future wife took the initiative to kiss him? When she moved her face away after the chaste kiss, he stopped her from pulling away completely by placing his hand behind her, then he leaned forward and angled his face to kiss her in return.
He disregarded the fact that they were in the middle of the dance floor as he enthusiastically kissed her. He even nibbled her lower lip and pushed his tongue inside her mouth just to know if she tasted better than she smelled. He didn't know how starved he was for her until he tasted her.
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Charlton felt his heart shattering when he saw Serena lips touching Geoffrey's even though it was just a peck that only lasted for a second. He felt angry and the jealousy was eating him alive.
But nothing could have prepared him for what Geoffrey did. His eyes almost bleeding red. He saw how he held her at the small of her back as he leaned forward while at the same time pulled her closer to him. How he angled his face so that he can kiss her better. How with so much gusto he deepened the kiss.
He didn't see Serena try to struggle. All he saw was them kissing at the middle without a care in the world. He wanted to go there, pull Geoffrey away and proclaim her as his. But it was she who took the initiative. Besides, what right did he have? He was nothing to her but her dirty little secret.
Then another thought entered his mind. Perhaps, she was just waiting for this moment. Waiting for him to commit a mistake so she can just push him aside. Perhaps even from the very beginning, she was just using him. Now that Geoffrey started paying her attention, she chose to leave him high and dry.
He clenched his fist in anger. Did she just toy with his heart? Was all of it a lie?
He closed his eyes and tried to calm down. He took a deep breath. Not wanting to do something he would regret, he turned around and left.
--
Serena was sobered up when she felt Geoffrey's tongue entering her mouth. She just meant to give him a peck, not to have him kiss her like the way he was kissing her now. She tried to push him away, but he was much stronger than she was and he was also quite persistent.
When he got his fill, that was the only time he felt Serena's hand pushing him away, so he reluctantly parted their lips. He didn't know what got into him to act like that. Thankfully, everyone was busy looking at the night sky.
"Sorry. I don't know what got into me." he explained.
Serena was more worried about Charlton seeing what happened. Her eyes looked at the spot he used to be standing at, and when she did not see him there, she started to panic. What did she just do? What kind of stupidity did she get herself into? Although she was angry and feeling betrayed, what she did was even worse.
Geoffrey interpreted her look as her being surprised with what he did. He did not regret kissing her that way though. It was even better than he could ever imagine. Besides, she kissed him first. Meaning, she must like him too.
She was not paying attention to what Geoffrey was saying as her eyes roamed around the area. Then she spotted him, about to walk out of the door.
Serena looked at Geoffrey. Alright, it was her fault for trying to use him. But did he have to kiss her that way? Anyway, she can only apologize to him.
"I'm sorry, that was a mistake. I have to go."
Then, she lifted her skirt as she started running. She has never chased for a man all her life, but she was doing so right now.
Geoffrey wanted to chase after her, but people started moving again after the display of fireworks was over effectively blocking his way. Anyway, he did not let her words get to him as he smiled. He understood quite well that girls really liked playing the cat and mouse game.
The cloth mechanically returned in place to cover the observatory while the ballroom again was lit up by the lights attached to the cloth. The orchestra continued playing random music, and although the dancing has already ended, for some, the night has just begun.
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TBC