Imperfect Desires

Let's do a quick rewind of Dylan's side of the things...

It had been perfect. Actually, too perfect that it even made Dylan feel like it was a dream. He might be naive when it came to feelings but he wasn't naive or inexperienced in kissing. He has had his fair share of 'fun' in life. And that's why it was very surprising to him that a mere kiss was making him feel all those feelings that he couldn't even describe in words.

But he could tell that the kiss was special because of her. Because it was Cali, he felt like he was back in his adolescence. He really felt like a teenager who was getting excited because his crush had the same feelings as he did. But the main point here was that Dylan actually had never gone through that feeling before. 

His first and last real relationship wasn't the result of his flirting. It was the other way around. His ex was the one who came on to him rather than him doing it. 

However, this one kiss was able to evoke those feelings that he never thought he'd be able to feel. Even when their lips parted, Dylan's hands didn't let her get away. He found a strange comfort with her body pressed against his own. Perhaps, that's why he didn't even think before sleeping with her.

"Get you head of the gutter," rebutted Dylan as he looked at Xiu's sparkling eyes. There was definitely something unholy running through that scheming head of hers. "Nothing of that sort happened."

Xiu's face looked like someone dropped a bucket of cold water on her, "You both slept in the same bed but nothing happened? What were you doing then?"

"I just hugged her to sleep," answered Dylan in his innocent voice making Xiu want to smack him but she held herself back because let's face it, she had expected this from him even with his bad record. 

"You have a track record which is by the way not very innocent but with the one person you had to take action, you chickened out?"

"No, I didn't chicken out," retorted Dylan and ran his fingers through his hair again. "I..." he tried to rethink his words before speaking, "I didn't think it was right."

"Woah! She isn't the right person?"

Dylan pulled a strand of her hair making her yelp, "No! Will you let me finish? I said it didn't feel right. I was talking about time. The timing seemed off because she felt so damn right that I didn't want to rush in like a fool."

Xiu's face brightened up as she grinned and forgot all about him pulling her hair. She simply slid close to him and grinned even more widely. "So, she felt like that right person, huh?" The way she was wriggling her brows at him was really annoying but it somehow made him chuckle at this idiot. Her finger brushed his ear adding, "Damn! Dylan, your ears are burning now. How shy can you get?"

"You know you are acting like a jerk?" he spat at her with an undertone of anger which seemed too shallow to make Xiu take it seriously.

"Can we blame it on the hangover?" she suggested.

"Not everything should be blamed on the hangover," said Dylan.

Xiu shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "Then I guess I am a jerk. So what? Deal with it, since you have to bear me for long now." While Dylan shook his head at her, she tapped his shoulder and urged him to continue his story.

And then Dylan went back to his story...

Well, everything was great at night even when he hugged Cali to sleep. But when he woke up, she was missing from the bed.

"She ghosted on you?" Xiu looked horrified as she stared at Dylan with sympathy.

Dylan sighed out heavily. It was the umpteenth time she was disturbing him but he couldn't even do anything. He just stared at her saying, "No wonder you and I find each other special." Xiu knitted her brows at him. "We share the same brain cell because that's exactly what I thought as well." Xiu laughed at him as he added, "I really thought she ghosted on me but I was wrong..."

---

Indeed, he was wrong because Cali hadn't gone anywhere. But he only got to know that when she came out of the bathroom with only a damn towel wrapped around her body. Her hair was also bundled up in a towel. Dylan was stunned to see the droplets of water kissing her contour making him feel bothered. The way the water slid down her body made a lot of things to flash through his mind. Some seriously explicit thoughts that he'd want to get rid of but couldn't do so.

'Oh, you're awake...' was Cali's casual reaction which caught Dylan off guard. She took off the towel from her hair and started drying her hair. Dylan really thought she was testing his patience now. Because why else would she do that before him? She looked at his reflection through the mirror and asked, 'You can take a shower if you want to.'

Dylan opened his mouth to say something but he couldn't do it looking at her. So, he turned around and replied, 'I can't. I have nothing to change into.'

Cali nodded in understanding. 'Oaky then freshen up. I've called for room service. Let's have some breakfast.'

Dylan watched her rummaging through her wardrobe before he scratched his head and vanished into the bathroom. What he failed to notice was how Cali's hands clutched her shirt tightly as she saw him disappearing from her sight. It was really not easy acting so calm before him. Her lips were still tingling from his touch. 

She was so out of sort that she even forgot to take her clothes before going for a shower. And that's why she had to suffer through this torture of his eyes lingering on her half-exposed body. But bloody hell, she loved the sensations that surged through her body when his eyes bored into her.

 Dylan, on the other hand, was sulking now since even at the breakfast all she talked about was useless things; Weather, news, tourist spots in the city, and food. Like seriously? Why was she so nonchalant? His body was burning at the reminder of last night and she was pretending like she hadn't confessed to him! 

But he was so busy in sulking that he didn't notice how while talking her eyes would often linger at his lips without blinking. She was only acting this indifferent to hide how flustered she was. 

'So, what's your plan for the day?' he had asked in his attempt to keep this conversation going and also, to find a way to spend time with her.

'Oh, I'm gonna meet Regan. I heard Francesca is here, so I'd like to meet her as well. It's been a while,' she answered while Dylan's face fell completely.

'Okay. Then I should be taking my leave,' he huffed throwing a tantrum before walking out of there and coming to Xiu. Well, the only stop he made on the way was to change his clothes.

----

After listening to him Xiu raised his brow and muttered, "So you both ghosted on each other."

"What do you mean? How is it my fault?" Dylan didn't know why she was coming at him now. How could it be his fault that Cali acted as nothing happened between them? He was already feeling hurt because he hadn't felt this way before. It sucked. Everything sucked right now!

"Since you both avoided 'the talk'," she emphasized by adding the air-quotation and went on, "It means you both ghosted on each other."

"But I didn't even know what to say."

Xiu patted his head comforting him and it helped since Dylan let his head drop on her shoulders with ease and closed his eyes feeling drained out for some reason. Xiu knew what he was feeling. It sucks when you don't know where you stand in someone's life. One minute they say they love you and the next, they just choose to withdraw without any explanation. It's hurtful and painful in a way that Xiu felt really bad for Dylan right now.

"Before we come to any conclusion..." Xiu was still patting his head as she went on, "Dylan, be honest with me. We already know what she feels about you. Now, what about you? Do you really like her?"