Chapter 136 - Awkwardness....

'Round table of awkwardness' was the best way to describe the gathering. 

Leo sat beside Richard who was sitting beside another guy they called Frank who sat beside James who sat beside the pretty blond girl who had been flirting with him earlier. Beside the blond girl, the lady who had been at the front door with the tags sat on the next seat while Mira was next, and Mia, and Benjamin, and Jeremy, and Chloe and Peter, James brother, then a girl who looked like Peter's girlfriend even though they claimed they were just friends, then back to Leo. 

In total, there were thirteen people, seven guys and six girls sitting around the round sofa in the other sitting room with a dim light as they prepared for the games. Since the couch was round, they could see each other's faces.

Others who weren't really close to them were still busy having fun at the main sitting room while James had asked his younger sister Rachel to go do something else because this type of gathering wasn't meant for a 16 years old girl.

The atmosphere was kind of strange and awkward for some people there who kept trying to avoid the other person's gaze. 

Let's go from the beginning....

James had walked into Mira n.a.k.e.d.— Awkward 1.

Whenever their eyes met, they both quickly looked away and pretend to do something else.

Awkward 2 was Chloe and James who were sitting beside each other. This time, Jeremy wasn't saying a word.

AN HOUR EARLIER....

"You know we can't keep standing here pretending like you are settling a family issue right?" Jeremy had asked Chloe. He had really thought they were going to look for Leo and Mia but Chloe wasn't moving and just sitting at one of the benches close to a beautiful garden at the side of the apartment. 

"Don't you prefer this serene atmosphere to the noisiness in there?" She turned to ask him.

"Well, I do. But I don't want to miss out on the games." He said with a slight blush.

"And what games are you talking about?" She asked while looking at him suspiciously, especially at the blush on his face. 

"It's nothing." He said quickly. 

"You know you are a terrible liar right?" She said with her eyes narrowed at him. 

"..."

"Anything you are thinking in your head, you better stop thinking it. Don't think I won't hit you if you tried to kiss me in there just because I've been lenient with you." She warned sternly. 

"Then who do you suggest I kiss?" He asked.

"Anyone that's not Chloe King. I won't play such silly games with you all." 

"Is it because your brother is here?"  He asked curiously. 

"You really think that's it?" She asked raising a brow at him. 

"Then why don't you want me to?" He asked like a whining child making her turn to look at him in frustration.

Chloe was quiet for a while and just stared at his face making him very uncomfortable.

"Kiss me" She suddenly said while looking deeply into his eyes. 

"What!?" He asked as his body involuntarily jumped in shock and his eyes widened. That was the last thing he had expected to hear from her.

"I. Said. Kiss. Me." She repeated carefully for him to catch every word.

"I... should kiss you?" He asked in utter disbelief.

"That's what I just said. Isn't this what you've always wanted? This thing you think you feel for me, I'll just prove it to you that whatever it is you feel for me is not love then maybe you can stop doing these annoying things you do after I let you kiss me."

She said coldly with her gaze never leaving his flushed face.

Jeremy looked at her quietly. He was trying to tell whether she was really serious or joking. 

Chloe smirked thinking he didn't have the guts to do so but to her surprise, he slowly reached for her face with his hands and cupped her cheeks gently making her eyes widen slightly.

He moved closer and closer and closer with their eyes never breaking contact. 

Jeremy's heart raced wildly as the tip of his nose touched hers. All he could see at that moment was her soft and glossy lips which was inviting him. She had told him to kiss her, hadn't she? 

But... he didn't. 

He stopped just before their lips met and said in a quiet voice. "I don't have to understand my feelings with one kiss."

"But if you dare me like this another time, I'll really do it." He said before leaving her face then he stood up.

Chloe was stunned speechless. They both quickly looked away from each other and he said after clearing his throat..

"We should return inside now."

Chloe stood up and quickly hurried past him, not saying anything else. 

They have both been acting awkwardly since then, especially Jeremy who couldn't seem to forget that moment when he had been tempted to kiss her for real. 

Awkward 3 was Leo and Mia. 

EARLIER...

"I am saying... that... I think... I am beginning to like you... a little too much." Mia confessed and shut her eyes immediately in embarrassment. 

Leo's heart had stopped beating when he heard her say those words. 

'Is she confessing right now?' He had asked himself in surprise and the surprise was obvious on his face as he looked at her. 

It wasn't the first time he was faced with something like this. The last few years when he had been having flings, there had been cases where the ladies would confess to him. The scene was always funny to him because he would really laugh and tell them they must be dreaming because he always made it clear he didn't need anything from them other than their bodies and he was ready to also give them his body and money if they asked. That was all. No other attachments.

But now....

"Oh God this is crazy!" Mia said as she used a hand to cover her face. The more he was quiet, the more she was beginning to regret her actions because she didn't know what he was thinking.  

Leo remained quiet as he tried to think about what to say.

He liked her. He knew he did.

But he wasn't sure he was ready to walk down this road again. 

"I am not saying I want to date you." Mia quickly said as if reading his mind. 

She pulled her hands away from her face and he could clearly see how flushed her cheeks were as she said without meeting his gaze....

"I am not even saying I need anything from you. I just... I just thought it was best to tell you that. I don't even know what I... actually feel. I do not know if I like you because you are one of the first people to really care about me or because I.. " She paused and bit her lip nervously. "Or because I had my first kiss with you and those other..." She swallowed hard. 

"Those other things...we.. did. I am not sure either and I really am not ready for any relationship or commitment so please do not think I am asking you to date me. I just.. I know I like you and I am comfortable around you. It was the reason I practiced my dance with you. Not because I wanted to impress Benjamin like you thought but because I was more comfortable with you. Oh God what am I even saying!?" She stopped to catch her breath and used her hands to cover her face in embarrassment. 

All the while, Leo just looked at her as she kept rambling on nervously. 

As much as he didn't like to admit it, he felt butterflies. 

Mia turned to look at him for the first time and when she saw him staring right back, her body jumped in shock and she hiccupped. 

Her mouth was left hanging open for a few seconds before she managed to say a word.

"I... think I should go in now before Mira gets worried." She said and hurriedly opened the door. She didn't spare him another glance and quickly ran away. 

Leo's body was still frozen there even after a long time. Over the years, he had been able to realise from his psychologist friend that he had Philophobia— the fear of falling in love with the wrong person. Although, his case wasn't very serious as the others his psychologist claimed to have seen.

This was a step he was really scared of taking. It was the reason he could not say a word because he didn't want to reject her, neither could he accept her. 

He hated the fact that even after two years, he still felt this terrible about what Cherry did to him. A girl he had loved with the whole of his being and had even swore with his life that Cherry was not that type of girl when his college friends tried to convince him that all ladies were cheats. 

This wasn't a path he was willing to take again. But what was he supposed to do now?

"Are you all ready?" James younger brother, Peter asked as he placed a box of cards on the table in front of all of them. 

"We are going to go clockwise. Pick a card and you have to do whatever is written on it." He said excitedly as he blew a whistle for the game to officially begin.