Her Runaway Prince

Peter smiled and put his foot against Amanda’s under the table.

“Let’s get some beer to go and head on home, Amanda, because I think we’ve both had enough heart-spilling for tonight.” Amanda responded with a nod, grabbed her things and stood up.

Outside, Peter’s hands were occupied with keeping Amanda up straight whilst simultaneously holding the beer in his other hand.

Amanda wasn’t in her right mind at that moment, and was struggling to remind herself that she shouldn’t be acting so clingy towards Peter. Had she not just earlier scolded herself for feeling any sort of attraction towards the man? But he was looking so handsome, and his hands were so warm, and he was being so kind, and she was so lost in the emotions the alcohol in her system was causing her.

She held onto his arm, standing close to him more to keep herself upright than to show any sort of affection. When they reached the cottage she took some time unlocking the front door, giggling as she struggled and toyed with the keys, until Petro stepped in and took over for her. She thanked him abundantly as they stumbled in, the familiar warm, musky scent of the wood floors and the hearth greeting her senses.

She took Peter’s hand and they collapsed together on the love seat, both sitting as far apart as the couch would allow them, because Amanda knew she’d been giving off the wrong message all night and she had to set it right. Peter took the beer from the bag and opened hers and handed it to her before opening his and taking a sip.

“Tonight was fun,” Amanda admitted, talking into her bottle of beer. “This is the first time I’ve actually celebrated Halloween, you know. Even as a kid, I didn’t go trick-or-treating regularly. Tonight, my mind was properly taken off of things. I had a chance to open up without fear.”

Peter moved over to her so that they were sitting shoulder-to-shoulder. She involuntarily leaned her head against his shoulder, her intoxicated state dominating her logical mind which was screaming at her to get up and go to bed instead. “You’re a great person, Amanda. You’re so strong, you know? I admire your strength, and your ability to actually be okay after everything you’ve been through. And not only that, but you’re still positive and you still smile so brightly. I know that one day you’ll have the life you deserve. You’ll…you’ll find someone who loves you the way you deserve to be loved.”

Her stomach twisted into knots at his words, and a strange burning sensation filled her chest cavity. It wasn’t necessarily an unpleasant feeling, but she wasn’t used to it. And, for some reason she mistook that feeling as something negative, because her mind couldn’t properly work through all the emotions. She bit her lip and looked up to Peter to say something, to tell him that she appreciated his friendship, to make it clear what they were. Nothing more than friends.

But his lips somehow found hers and she knew she it was over.

For a few seconds her mind was completely blank. Her head filled with white noise, her body started to tingle, her toes curled in her socks, and she was completely overwhelmed. His lips were as soft as she’d imagined them to be, and his hands cupped her cheek so perfectly. She held her breath, unable to respond properly, unable to think properly.

Then, the thought of what they were doing hit her like a train.

She pushed him off gently, tears in her eyes. She bit her lip hard, looking away, trying to keep her tears in. “Peter, no,” she said, her voice shaky. His eyes widened and he immediately started spouting apologies, saying over and over again how he didn’t mean it, and that he’d acted on impulse.

Amanda got up and left without saying anything more.

She curled up in bed, sniffling into her pillow, questioning every decision she’d made that day. What actually bothered her the most wasn’t how wrong the kiss had felt.

It was how right it had felt.