Kiss Me Not

Cain looked around at the whole corners of the hall for Kimmy. He smiled when his eyes finally caught her silhouette. She was with her mother, and Kimmy looked stunning wearing her above-the-knee royal casual dress, cloche, with a light pink striped fabric knitted with pearls. It fit perfectly on her curvy body. 

Cain was about to approach them when Kimmy suddenly walked away from her mother. Cain quietly followed her but halted when he saw a man talking with Kimmy.

He stood like a statue on the spot. He could recognize the man since he saw him in the photos Gavin provided. The man was Harry. 

For a moment, Cain could not think about what to do next. He did not know whether to approach Kimmy and pull her that instant. He just stood there, observing how the two were interacting. Kimmy had a dark expression. Then she suddenly pulled Harry away from the crowd.

"Sh*t!" Cain cursed. He gritted his teeth at the sight of Kimmy holding another man's wrist. He never thought he could be this possessive towards her when he even had no right yet over her.

Without him knowing, his feet suddenly dragged him out of his place. He followed the two who walked outside the palace. 

He felt like a stalker who sneakily followed Kimmy outside. They went to the garden, and he found a good spot where they could not see his presence though his distance was enough to hear their conversation.

"What's going on?" Kimmy asked Harry with a creased forehead.

"I am… Uhm. I know someone from the media, and he helped me get inside as a substitute for his co-worker who got sick today." Harry confessed.

"You could have just called me, you know, and I can let you in the palace so easily. Besides, we are friends," Kimmy mumbled with crossed arms.

Harry chuckled and said, "Thank you. I'm actually nervous. I mean, I thought you would be angry or won't see me anymore after what happened."

"But I messaged you already saying I will meet you, right?" Kimmy asked.

Cain clenched his fists, hearing those words from Kimmy. He assumed that Kimmy would meet Harry sooner or later but hearing it come directly from her mouth was a massive slap to his face. He knew his eavesdropping was not good, but his stubborn body did not want to move at all from his spot.

He wanted to hear more. He wanted to witness their interactions more so that he could analyze things as a psychologist.

'I'm so hopeless,' Cain mused with a sigh. He was hoping to see a bit of light from Kimmy that he could consider to his advantage.

"Yes, you did. Just that I'm a bit impatient to see you," Harry whispered, almost gasping. 

Kimmy couldn't help but smile at Harry and bluntly comment, "Why? Are you missing me now?"

"Tsk, look at your face still blushing like that, and yet you always insisted you were not affected by my presence," Kimmy mumbled with amusement.

"I guess I'm good at lying, Kimmy. I'm sorry," Harry whispered.

"Yeah, you're good at lying. But please stop saying you're sorry! You are always sorry about everything!" Kimmy scolded. Harry never changed. He was like that before, constantly apologizing, and she hated it.

Harry ended up laughing, seeing the flaring nostrils of Kimmy.

"I missed that angry face of yours," Harry murmured, still laughing.

Kimmy ended up laughing as well. It had been a while since she last saw Harry laughing like this. It had been a while since they laughed together like this. 

Unknown to Kimmy and Harry, Cain's glare was shooting daggers in their direction.

Kimmy and Harry were still laughing when the rain suddenly poured.

"Oh!" Kimmy gasped, looking at the sky crying. She was all wet, and so was Harry.

  She was startled when Harry grabbed her wrist and said, "Let's run back inside. It's raining."

Harry pulled her, but Kimmy could not move as she felt a tight and firm grasp on her other wrist. She turned, and her lips parted as she mumbled in disbelief, "Cain?"

Cain smiled at her and said, "Where are you going, Kimberly?"

Kimmy looked at Harry and then at Cain. Both men were glaring at each other. 

Kimmy gulped, feeling the tightening of the hands gripping both her wrists.

"Kimmy. Let's go," Harry whispered.

Cain lifted a brow and said, "She's not going anywhere with you."

Harry frowned at Cain. Then his expression softened as he looked at Kimmy, waiting for Kimmy to decide what she wanted to do.

Kimmy felt torn, looking back and forth at her wrists. She did not know what to do… which hand to let go.

'Oh my God! What is wrong with me?' Kimmy annoyingly mused to herself.

The rain was pouring hard, and they were all drenched.

"You brat! You're all wet!" a familiar voice yelled from behind, and Kimmy turned.

She saw her mother approaching. She had crossed arms as she yelled at the two men, "Let go of my daughter's wrists! How dare you two make her so drench in the rain!"

Both Harry and Cain released Kimmy's wrist, and Leila quickly pulled her daughter inside the big umbrella the royal guard was holding for her.

"Look at you… Ah, I will get angry once you catch a cold. Come inside, and you need to get changed first." Leila whispered.

She looked at the two men and said, "You two go inside and get changed!"

After that, Leila pulled Kimmy back inside the palace, and they went straight to the room Leila always used whenever she was in the palace. 

"Go, take a quick bath, and change into this," Leila told Kimmy, who obediently went inside the restroom. Leila heaved a long deep sigh as she waited on the couch and instructed a servant to get them a hot lime with honey.

Kimmy did not take long in the shower room. She was honestly glad that her mother arrived at the right time, at that moment when she could not decide what to do.

"Come here and have some hot lime… I don't want you to catch a cold, so come and drink this," Leila instructed. Kimmy sat beside her and grabbed the glass her mother handed to her.

Kimmy blew it a bit before she took a sip. It was so refreshing.

"So your uncle is the one who saw you in that tug of war thing over the balcony. I don't know what's going on, but I feel like you are having a problem dear with those two men," Leila commented, hoping her daughter would open up to her about it.

"I know Cain, but the other man…" Leila added, hanging her words, hoping Kimmy would continue it and give her some information.

"He is Harry, mom. I'm surprised to see him inside the palace too. About earlier, thank you for interrupting. I honestly didn't know what to do." Kimmy confessed.

"You do know that you can't continue being like that, Kimmy. I mean, was it so hard to let go of one of those hands grabbing you? Or you can release both your wrists from them. It was just an easy task for you to do, Kimmy," Leila commented.

"I don't know, mom. I felt confused at that moment that I didn't know which hand to remove…" Kimmy whispered.

"And you also did not want to remove both hands?" Leila asked, and Kimmy nodded.

Leila's shoulders dropped. Her daughter was torn between two lovers.

Kimmy chuckled and said, "What's with that look, mom. Chill out. It's not like those two already proposed to me. I mean, Harry hadn't said a thing and Cain…"

"Cain? Did he say something to you? Like proposing?" Leila asked. She thought Cain and Kimmy already had a good and mutual understanding, so what happened. The curiosity to find out more was killing her, but she needed to wait patiently.

Kimmy only wrinkled her nose at her, then she asked, "What about those two?"

"You're worried about them?" Leila questioned with raised brows.

"They are all wet too…" Kimmy mumbled with an awkward smile.

"Don't worry. I took care of them. I instructed the servants to attend to them. They should be at your uncle's dining room by now, having some hot lime like you while waiting for my arrival."

"What?" Kimmy burst.

"What do you expect? I just let them leave like that? As you said, they were both soaking in the rain." Leila reasoned.

"Finish your lime, and let's go see your guests. It's only proper that you introduce Harry to Cain and me properly, dear. Don't you think so?" Leila commented.

Kimmy scratched her head as she mumbled, "But it's so awkward and weird. I mean… Ah fine, let's go now, and I will introduce you to Harry so he can finally leave."

Leila chuckled and said, "Let's go. I'm sure those two are not waiting for me to arrive but surely waiting for you, my dear daughter."

Kimmy stood up from the couch with a pout and crumpled face. She felt like she was in a tight spot when she did not do anything wrong at all.

"Why do I feel like I'm in big trouble?" Kimmy murmured.

"Yes, you are my daughter, so make sure you make up your mind and choose only one between those two or rather choose no one at all!" Leila scoffed at Kimmy's back.