Chapter 7: First Kiss

-Seraphina's POV-

Everything stopped.

The world, the sound, the air — all of it froze in place as the weight of what had just happened crashed over me. It was like a bucket of ice had been dumped over my entire body — sharp, cold, shocking. I couldn't move. I couldn't think. My heart was pounding so loud it was the only thing I could hear.

What just happened?

Did I… was that… my first kiss?

My lips still tingled from the contact. My mind screamed to catch up, but it was already too late — the moment had happened, real and irreversible.

I didn't know how to feel.

Was I supposed to be angry? This wasn’t how I imagined it. Not like this. Not so sudden. Not without meaning. Not... not like a mistake.

But then again, wasn’t this what I had secretly dreamed of? That maybe, just maybe, my first kiss would be with him — Jayden. The boy I loved from a distance. The boy I could never reach.

No. No, no, no.

I can't be thinking this way.

Jayden — the arrogant jerk with the pretty face. Just because he's smart, rich, and disgustingly attractive, with a family that looks like they were born to win awards for being ideal — doesn't mean he gets a free pass. He’s cold. He’s heartless. He’s a walking red flag disguised as perfection.

And yet... as my eyes drifted down to his lips, the very same lips I had once only dared to glance at when he wasn't looking, I felt this strange heat bloom in my chest. A warmth that pushed back the cold shock just moments earlier. Those lips — they had touched mine. They had claimed something I wasn’t ready to give.

And then — reality slapped me in the face.

“What a fool,” he muttered, his voice sharp, cruel, as he pushed me away like it meant nothing. Like I meant nothing.

I stumbled backward, losing my balance and landing hard on the cold floor. A sting shot up from where I hit the ground, but the ache in my chest stung worse.

“What the hell is wrong with you?!” I snapped, my voice shaking with emotion — embarrassment, anger, maybe even heartbreak. “This is your fault!”

I clenched my fist, lifting it halfway as if I was about to punch him — not that I actually would. He had already turned his back on me, walking away like it didn’t matter. Like I didn’t matter.

Well… it’s not like he ever cared in the first place.

But the way he acted — like it was just another day, another kiss — made me feel even more small. He moved like he’d done it a hundred times before. Like he was used to kissing girls without flinching, without even thinking.

I was so lost in the chaos of my own thoughts, I didn’t even get to read his expression properly. Did he look surprised? Annoyed? Indifferent?

Now I can’t help but wonder…

Was I his first kiss too?

Ugh. No. I shouldn't care. I can't care.

I shook my head, as if I could physically toss the thought out of my mind.

Whatever. I need to move on.

I have to move on.

But how do you move on when the universe keeps throwing more reasons not to? Like a twisted joke — one minute I’m trying to let go, the next minute my lips are on his.

Is this some kind of punishment? Or am I just that unlucky in life?

Slowly, I pushed myself off the floor, still wincing from the ache where I fell. My pride was bruised just as badly. One hand clutched at my lower back, while the other instinctively went up to my lips — the same lips that had touched his, however briefly.

It was quick. Barely a second.

But somehow, it felt like something I’d carry forever.

Maybe this was God’s way of throwing me a tiny scrap of a wish — just one taste, one fleeting moment — before reminding me I’ll never stand a chance with someone like Jayden.

But then again… after knowing him more, maybe that’s a good thing.

I let out a shaky breath and walked back to the dining area, trying to compose myself, even as my insides were still a mess.

But the moment I stepped in, I felt the change in the air.

Auntie looked practically glowing with happiness, her smile wide and suspiciously knowing.

Hermes, on the other hand, glared at me like I had just declared war. His eyes were dark, intense — if looks could kill, I’d be six feet under.

Dad and Uncle had this awkward, forced-smile thing going on, like they’d heard something they weren’t supposed to.

And Jayden?

There he was — sitting at the table, cool as ever, casually chewing his food like nothing happened.

Like he didn’t just turn my whole world upside down.

Like my heart hadn’t stopped and restarted with one single kiss.

Like I didn't exist at all.

“Sera, come eat now. It’s not good to leave food sitting on the table for too long,” Auntie said with a light chuckle, gently guiding me back to my seat like nothing had just exploded inside me.

I forced a smile, even though my butt was still throbbing in pain. Ugh. Jayden, that jerk! Couldn't he have at least helped me up? Or asked if I was okay? So much for being a gentleman.

“Go on, eat,” Auntie urged again with a warm smile.

I nodded, still dazed, still a little lost. But something about her felt… off. Different. Her smile was wider than usual, her eyes dancing with something unreadable. What happened while Jayden and I were gone? Did something happen here too?

Before I could ask or even settle down completely, Jayden stood from his seat.

“I’m full,” he said flatly, barely sparing a glance at anyone before heading for the stairs.

There he goes again. So cold. So indifferent. Like nothing happened. Like he didn’t just steal my first kiss and toss me aside like I was nothing.

Ugh, why does he have to be so... cool about everything? It's so annoying.

And yet…

Why does that same coldness make my heart race?

After dinner, I offered to help Auntie clean up — a good distraction, or at least an attempt to stop replaying that moment in my head on loop. I washed dishes, wiped the counters, and made sure everything was spotless. Maybe if I scrubbed hard enough, I could also scrub away the memory of his lips on mine.

Once everything was in order, I grabbed the trash and headed out back to throw it away. The cool night breeze kissed my skin, and for a moment, it calmed the storm in my chest.

Then I saw it.

Just beyond the path behind the house, hidden like a secret, was a garden.

His garden.

My breath caught in my throat.

Tulips. Dozens. Maybe hundreds. In every color you could think of. Deep reds, delicate pinks, golden yellows, soft purples. Each one looked like it had been planted with care — arranged in soft rows, like a painting come to life.

It was… beautiful.

I stepped closer, unable to stop myself. The moonlight gave the garden a dreamlike glow, and the tulips swayed gently in the breeze like they were whispering secrets.

Jayden did this?

The same cold, arrogant Jayden who acted like he didn’t care about anything — this was his hidden world?

A side of him no one else saw?

And somehow… I was standing in it.

"What are you doing here?"

The sudden voice sliced through the quiet night air, making me flinch in surprise. My heart leapt to my throat as I spun around.

Of course. Jayden.

Why was I even surprised? Of course this was his spot. This garden — it was too calm, too thoughtful, too… unlike the version of him the world knew. Maybe this was his escape too.

“Ah, nothing. Just passing by,” I said with an awkward laugh, lifting the trash bag slightly. “Was throwing this out, hehe.”

I started to walk away, my eyes avoiding his, already feeling the heat crawl up my neck.

But then—

"Really? Just that?"

There was something in his tone — something teasing, maybe mocking. It stopped me mid-step.

I nodded without turning to look at him. “Yes, just that. What else would I be doing here?”

Silence. Then—

"I don't know. Maybe stealing kisses again?"