Is this destiny?

Zula wondered, why would Ron mention the possibility that she does not like his kisses? And then she realized that maybe he thinks she does not like it because she is… stiff.

Ron told himself to stop kissing her. No matter how cute she is and how soft her lips are and how willing she is, she is a teenage girl and he needs to take it slow.

But how can he know what slow is? He has no idea what a relationship is! His first 'experience' was when his stepmother entered the bathroom while he showered with an excuse of bringing in fresh towels and she shoved her tongue down his throat while guiding his hand inside her panties and then she touched him… everywhere. That was many years ago, yet it's still fresh in his mind like it happened yesterday, and he is doing his best not to think about it. He does not want to think about that or any other time that despicable woman came near him!

Ron inched away with difficulty, happy to see that Zula does not seem to mind his kisses. It seems that even with all his doubts, so far he is doing well.

His breathing stopped when Zula kissed him! What is this girl doing?

Actually… she is doing rather well. Her lips moved over his, and she held onto his shoulders, like she is afraid that he might pull back.

Ron thought how Zula is a silly girl. There is no way he will pull back. Not when the cutest girl in the world took the initiative to kiss him.

Ron moved closer to Zula without parting their lips. He responded to her kiss and was pleasantly surprised to feel how quickly she picked up the moves. 

Her head was cradled in the crook of his left elbow which leaned on the window behind her and he held his right hand on her waist firmly.

She opened her mouth to gasp for air and Ron realized that she is not breathing.

He chuckled. "Breathe through your nose."

"Sorry…", she said awkwardly.

"Don't be sorry. It's just that…", he touched her lips with his thumb before inching away from her back into a straight position. "If you open your mouth during the kiss, it usually means that you are OK with moving to the next level."

"What is the next level?", Zula asked anxiously.

Ron licked his lips subconsciously. "With… the tongue."

Zula felt that her heart is about to jump out of her chest. "Well… I am not against it."

"Are you sure?"

Zula gathered all her courage to respond: "I already told you that I want to try everything with you."

Ron thought how Zula is cute and naïve to the point of not understanding the meaning behind her words. "Don't say that. You don't know what it means."

"I don't. That is why I want to try. With you."

Ron was touched. She is smart and sweet and adorable and innocent, and he is… not. She is looking at him with admiration and getting easily dazed and he is dirty and not worthy of it… not from a pure and amazing girl like Zula. "Zula, I am broken and…"

"And I am OK with that!", she said anxiously, interrupting his next words.

Zula noticed that Ron lowered his gaze and that dark thoughts invaded his mind. And it's not the first time. More than once a day he gets into that dark mood, like he is remembering something unpleasant. She knows that, because she is watching him. And her guess is that it's related to that woman who approached him in front of the restroom at the White Mansion, the one who called herself his stepmother, but Zula will never mention that woman in front of Ron or ask him about this darkness that consumes him occasionally.

She wants him to know that she is OK with that and that she does not mind. It is a part of him, and she will accept it.  Her only hope is that she is capable enough to shine some light into his life, maybe disperse a bit of that darkness because Ron is very handsome when he smiles, and she hopes that he never has a need to stop smiling.

Zula looked him in the eyes and saw how shocked he is with her sudden statement and she understood that he is insecure. Probably in a different way than she is, but still… Zula wants Ron to know how she feels about him.

Zula cupped his cheeks and kissed him on the lips.

"I admit, I don't know many things but I want to experience them with you. There is no rush. We can do things later, when we are ready. When both of us are. If you are OK with me... because I am OK with you, just the way you are."

Ron looked at Zula and felt that something moved in his chest. He was not sure what it was, but it was a tingling restless feeling that gradually expanded through his body.

"Zula…"

"I hope you enjoyed the ride!", a staff member exclaimed while standing next to the door, reminding them with his exaggerated smile that they need to leave the gondola.

They didn't notice that the ride is over.

Ron walked out first and helped Zula out.

They sauntered in silence while holding hands.

Zula wondered what is on his mind. He is quiet, and it's making her anxious. She glanced at their hands and she was not sure if that is his palm sweating or hers.

Ron was trying to identify the newfound feeling which was like butterflies in his stomach, and it made his heart pound wildly. He glanced at the girl by his side and realized that his heart is pounding because of her. He knows that Zula is cute and that he is attracted to her, but so far he didn't know that she is making him… nervous.

He was so distracted that they walked by the secret passage and he forgot about it. Well, they exited like normal customers, through the main gate.

"Do you want an ice cream?", Ron offered when they got into the car.

"Isn't it late?"

"I was hoping that we can extend this date.", he admitted.

"Oh… OK." She smiled.

They got two ice creams from the 24hour drive-through and it was close to midnight when Ron stopped the car at the nearby vantage point. The view of the Los Angeles nightlights was very romantic.

"Tell me something about you.", Ron started the topic while working on his ice cream.

Zula cleared her throat. "About me? I was third out of seven children. We were poor, but a happy family. My village was raided, and I was separated from my family forcibly. My parents are gone, and my siblings… I don't know. The people who held me wanted to sell me. Sarah and Aiden found me in a basement and saved me from being beaten up and allowed me to come here. That's the summary. How about you?"

Ron thought for some time before speaking. "Uhm… I am a single child. I'm coming from a family which has a lot of money, and no love… definitely no trust. I escaped when I couldn't take it anymore and Sarah and Aiden found me in a basement where I was beating up people."

"Wow!", Zula exclaimed. "It seems that our stories are a total opposite."

"Yeah. Opposites attract."

Zula blinked few times. "Are you… attracted to me?"

"Yeah.", he admitted. "A lot. Uhm… how about you?"

"I… I like you too.", Zula stuttered.

Ron smiled and inched closer to Zula.

She met him halfway and their lips connected.

Zula was about to reach and hug Ron, and her hand bumped into his, and his ice cream cone fell next to her legs. But that didn't stop them from kissing.

Ron now had both of his hands free while Zula's hands were up in a surrender with an ice cream in her left one.

He pulled Zula closer with his right hand behind her back how much the divider between the front seats allowed it, while his left one went behind her neck, holding her head in place.

His tongue brushed against her lips once, twice, and then he deepened the kiss.

Zula was surprised when his tongue touched hers. The sensation was electrifying, and it made her whole body jolt, and she dropped the ice cream behind her seat.

Zula was always a fast learner. It didn't take more than few seconds for her to kiss him back and neither of them cared about the ruined ice cream. And she remembered to breathe through her nose.

Her hands moved around Ron's neck and her fingers laced into his hair.

Zula confirmed that kissing Ron with a tongue is definitely better than the ice cream and sweeter than s'mores and more addictive than a chocolate cheesecake.

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