Chapter 74: Chapter 74

" Michael...", I called. He didn't tilt his head. " Now tell it to me in words.", I said.

" No..", he shook his head.

" Why ?", I asked. My smile was fading.

" You are going to the b..ball with Gabriel, right ? After that aren't you g..going to ask her out ?", he asked.

" No ! ", I squealed. " I'm not going to the ball with her. In fact I didn't even ask her out for the ball. I just lied to you. And I'm not going to ask her out. I don't like her. I like you !"

He finally tilted his head and stared at me as if he don't believe me.

" It was all acting Michael. Believe me, I don't like her. "

He scrunched his eyebrows and frowned at me. He was so cute that I couldn't help but pinch his cheeks. " I only like you baby.", I said smiling as he yanked away my hand.

" You were such a jealous boy.", I chuckled. " But still so stubborn. And you know, you are still being stubborn. You aren't telling me you like me."

" So you and..G. Gabriel and Gavin and G..Grace..., all together planned this to make me j..jealous?", he asked.

I hesitated to reply. His eyebrows scrunched further. " Yes. But Gabriel don't know about this."

"What ! So you were u..using her ?", Michael asked, his voice angry.

" No..it's not like that. I and she are not that close like you think. I only acted close to her in front of you. ", I tried to justify myself.

" You are c..close ! She was always with you at the a..amusement park. And she sure l..likes you.", he retorted.

" But I don't like her. I never told her I like her. I only acted friendly towards her. And after last Saturday, I haven't really talked to her.", I said.

" You f..flirted with her and she thinks you l..like her.", he then said.

" If she thinks like that, I will soon make things clear to her. Don't make that as an excuse to not tell me you like me. C'mon say it.", I said.

" You said you won't f...force me into a..anything I don't like.", He said.

" But you like me. And you kissed me. Why don't you just tell me you like me ?"

" I don't want to enter into a r..relationship with you. I c..can't.", He said taking away all the joy from my heart and almost making me baffled.

" Why ?", I demanded to know.

" I'm s..scared about my parents knowing.", he said.

" They are Homophobic?", I asked. He shook his head ' No'.

" Then what ? Because your brother looked like me ?", I asked.

He nodded. " And I'm a..afraid about everyone's reaction at me liking a g..guy."

I sighed. " Michael, You can't live your life if you are scared about everything. It's your life. It's you who makes decisions. What if I look like your brother? I'm not your brother. Why do you need to think what other people think about you ? And this isn't a rare thing nowadays. There are lot of people dating people of their same sex and living happily.", I tried to somehow persuade him. I wanted him. I desperately needed him.

He nodded. " I know. B..but.. "

" But what ? ", I cut him down. " You know my Mom is really supportive. She is totally okay with me dating a boy. And she already asked me whether I'm dating you. " He looked at me surprised at that. I was actually half lying. My Mom didn't directly ask me that. But I know she already got clues that I like him. Cause while I was at home during that one week, I was full time drawing his pics for the arts assignment. And she found a lot of pics of him on my desk.

" And I think Michael..", I continued. " Your parents will also support you. Don't you think they would be actually happy to see someone looking like your brother ?"

" I don't think th..they would be happy to know I'm dating s..someone looking like Alex.", he replied.

"But I think they would be happy.", I said.

" No Ethan. We can't d..date ! ", he said sternly. I looked away disappointed and angry. We sat like that for a minute or two in silence.

" Then why did you kiss me ?", I at last asked turning to him and staring hard.

" Ethan..I'm sorry. I'm o..okay with being c..close and all. Uhm..you...you may kissmeifyouwant. But we can't d..date.", he said and looked away.

I was totally surprised and baffled. What logic is that ? I can kiss him and be close to him. But I can't date him ??

Anyway looking at his red face I couldn't help but smile again.

" Isn't actually 'dating' the technical term for that ?", I asked him.

" Yeah..but we can't o..officially date.", he said.

" Oh..so we can secretly date ?", I asked.

" Uhmm...no it can't be called d..dating.", he said. " It's j..just something else. Here we don't have much c..commitment to each other. We can change our decision and g..go our separate ways at anytime without official b..break up.", he explained.

I thought about it quickly. Whatever, I wanted it. I wanted him desperately. Maybe after this ‘something else thing’, I can make him really fall for me. He already needs me badly. So I sure can make him mine. This is actually a good deal.

" Okay I'm up for this something else deal.", I said.

" Uhm..okay..", He nodded. " Thanks..", he said looking away awkwardly.

I chuckled. " I'm the one who should actually say thanks. Between can I kiss you now ?", I asked.

" Ahm..no..only one kiss a day. And t..today's kiss is....",

Before he could finish his sentence, I pulled him forward by his collar and connected our lips. My lips soon trapped his soft bottom lip in between mine. He gasped but didn't attempt to pull away. His lips tasted so sweet, just like I imagined. I moved my hands to his face, softly caressing his cheeks as I kissed his upper and bottom lip alternatively. He shivered a little as my fingers grazed his soft pink ears.

He closed his eyes and leaned into the kiss, shivering once in a while. I could hear his heart thud wild against his chest. He was giving birth to wild untameable butterflies inside my stomach.

I couldn't get enough of him. I wanted to push my tongue into his sweet mouth and taste every inch of his cavern. But it was his first time and I didn't want to shock him. So I somehow controlled myself and pulled away from him as he opened his eyes and started to gasp.

He immediately looked away, grazing his fingers over his red and slightly swollen lips.

" How was it ?", I asked him smiling.

" It was g..good.", he said palming his heated pink lips. I could only smile at him fondly.

He is so adorable and precious.