His hands reached out towards her, and cupped the back of her neck.
His heart raced, and for the first time, he allowed himself to breathe.
Meanwhile, Beauty's breath caught in her throat, and she closed her eyes tightly.
Not sure why she had to do so. Her breathing hardened at this point, she doesn't care if she would be the same as the others.
She wanted to feel loved by a man she loved dearly. Even if he is faking it.
She is desperate at this point, and she felt sorry for herself.
A tear dropped on her cheeks.
Bruno noticed it, his heart sank, but he realized she hadn't pulled away even with that tear on her cheek.
Maybe...just maybe...she was waiting for him to make the move. To make her feel loved.
She looks so vulnerable, and he doesn't want to make a mistake.
What if he disappointed her by not going for it?
His resolve crumbled.
His free hand moved almost instinctively, from her neck reaching up to her cheek, his thumb brushing her skin to wipe off the tears as though testing them.
His fingers trembled against her skin, that gave Beauty skin freezing chills.
Her heart almost jumped out of her rib cage.
She held her eyes closed tightly to avoid eye contact like it was a death sentence.
What now! What now! What now!
Her heart was singing the question with its beats.
"Is this a scar?"
He asked, brushing his finger against it.
Beauty felt another attack of chills all over
"It is... I got them in middle school from a bully".
Beauty answered, clenching her fingers on her things and digging them into the sweatpants she was wearing.
Bruno pulled his hand away and cursed inwardly.
"Is there anything wrong? Sir Bruno?"
"Huh?"
He murmured.
"Why did you remove your hand?"
Bruno was shocked she asked that, it took Beauty's brain some minute to understand her question.
Her eyes widened in realization.
"No! I don't mean it that way!"
She snapped and hid her face in her hands.
Bruno smiled softly at her.
A car drove past them with speed.
That was when they both realized that the road was clear and the rain stopped.
Beauty sat quietly in the passenger seat, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of Bruno's hoodie. The skin on her neck where he touched still tingled from his touch, and her mind replayed the moment over and over again.
Reimagining the whole scene as a surprise kiss moment.
A scene where Bruno had pulled her in and kissed her lips and not distracted by some scar.
Bruno kept his eyes on the road, his hands gripping the steering wheel a little too tightly.
His thoughts were a chaotic swirl of confusion and desire. He wanted to ask her about the bully and find the brat wherever they might be and teach them a lesson. Most importantly, he wanted to confess what had been building inside him for so long, but the words wouldn't come.
Having a boner is not the right way to express it. What if she sees him as a creep?
Beauty had her heart pounding harder against her chest.
They were almost at her place.
She was thinking of a suitable excuse to give to her parents. She left home with jeans and a casual blouse.
And get home in a tight-fitting sweatpants and hoodie.
A few minutes later, Bruno's car pulled up in front of Beauty's house, the rain was almost dry.
"Thanks, I appreciate the ride and the clothes, sir".
Beauty said slowly.
"You can keep those, if you want".
Bruno said, staring at her intently.
Beauty nodded, trying to seal in her excitement until she got in her room
Bruno wished that she could have waited a little longer. Not like he had something to say but just the two of them alone, maybe holding hands and a goodbye hug, a kiss too.
Just take things slowly.
He was staring at her with his mind racing with those imaginations, he didn't notice her struggling with the car lock.
Beauty had to stop and wave at his face.
"Sir Bruno?"
"Yeah...?"
Bruno blinked.
"The...the door is not..."
"Oh my apologies..."
Bruno got out of the car immediately and opened the door for her.
That wasn't what she meant, and she didn't expect him to open it up for her.
Beauty's face went pink, she had her eyes down and muttered, thanks.
As she stepped out of Bruno's car, her mother, Mrs. Hills, watched from the window, her eyes widened in surprise.