candy and roses

Damian had spent the last few days in a quiet panic, completely unsure of how to reach out to her. He was trapped in the frustrating dilemma that he had carelessly forgotten his own childhood best friend. Nyla, on the other hand, remained trapped in her own dilemma, fully convinced he had erased her from his life forever.

It was a crisp Saturday morning when Nyla headed out to a local Parisian coffee shop with her family for breakfast. Little did she know, the café was actually owned by Damian's father.

They sat at a small table, scanning the laminated menus.

“Everything is in French,” Isabelle announced, looking completely confused.

Vincent immediately pulled out his phone, searching for a translator app, while Nyla's eyes began to roam around the room. Suddenly, her gaze stopped on a young boy sitting across the cafe, quietly reading a newspaper.

Her gaze was intense. A little too intense. She stared until he finally felt the weight of her eyes, and they made direct eye contact.

Damian paused for a minute, lowering the paper before slowly getting up. Nyla’s entire body stiffened.

“Hey, guys! Nyla?” he called out, walking over.

“Yeah?” she whispered.

Vincent and Isabelle immediately looked up, startled.

“I'm Nyla's classmate. Nice to meet you guys,” Damian said, offering her parents a warm, polite smile. Nyla’s burning gaze never left his face. “It's actually my father's restaurant. Do you guys need any help with ordering?”

Vincent looked at his wife in relief. “Yeah, please. The menu is entirely in French, and we are not very good at it.”

Damian chuckled softly, standing by their table to explain what each dish contained before personally placing their order with the waiter.

“Why don't you sit with us?” Nyla asked bluntly, her voice cutting through the polite chatter.

He looked at her, hesitating for a fraction of a second before answering. “Well, I suppose I could.”

He pulled out an empty chair and sat down. While Isabelle became occupied scrolling on her phone and Vincent studied the translated menu, Nyla took her opportunity. She gripped the metal legs of Damian's chair and violently pulled it closer to her own, causing his breath to hitch.

Caught completely off guard, Damian tried to subtly nudge his chair back aside, but Nyla held it firmly. He couldn't move an inch, even as he subtly struggled against her grip. He had no idea where she was getting this much strength from.

When the food arrived, they began eating their breakfast in a much more relaxed atmosphere.

“The coffee is really nice,” Isabelle commented, taking a sip.

“Yeah, it's very special,” Damian answered, sipping his own drink while keeping a wary eye on Nyla.

“I like the croissant,” Nyla added loudly, deliberately trying to draw his attention back to her.

“Yeah, it's good, right?” he answered with a nod.

Once they finished, Vincent reached into his pocket to pay, but Damian immediately stopped him. “Don't worry, sir. It's on the house.”

“Oh, no, no, no! I insist,” Vincent replied, trying to hand him the euros, but it was all to no avail.

“What a young gentleman you are,” Isabelle commented, thoroughly impressed.

“I appreciate that, ma'am,” Damian replied smoothly.

“Mom, Dad, can me and Damian hang out now?” Nyla asked suddenly.

Damian almost choked on air. He was just trying to be a kind host, but somehow, she instantly wanted more of his time.

“Sure,” her parents replied in sync.

Before Damian could protest, Nyla gripped his hand tight, guiding him forcefully out the front door of the cafe.

“I want to spend time with you,” she said the moment they hit the pavement.

“Why are you acting so clingy?” Damian asked, his tone turning sharp as he yanked his arm. “Who said you could touch me?”

He tried to jerk her hand off, but her grip only tightened.

With a sudden surge of possessiveness, she pinned him right against the brick wall of the alleyway.

“You promised your chika that you would always be hers, and now you're breaking her heart,” she whispered, her eyes boring into his.

He raised his eyebrow, a look of disbelief crossing his features. “I meant as frien—”

“Shh!” she interrupted, placing a finger near his lips.

Eventually, she let go, and they began walking down the bustling street side by side.

“How do you still remember all of that?” he asked, genuinely curious.

“I like to keep my word,” she replied flatly.

As they walked, Nyla was completely oblivious to her surroundings. The crowded streets of Paris faded into background noise; she couldn't focus on anything but him.

He made her feel alive, happy, and consumed by a terrifying rush of warmth. Something about his mere presence was intoxicating.

“Hey!” Damian suddenly exclaimed.

In a flash, his arm shot out and caught her securely around the waist just as her foot caught on the cobblestones. “Watch your steps, girl,” he added, his voice low.

Nyla's eyes widened. “You caught me?” she breathed, her face flushing a deep pink.

He rolled his eyes, a smirk playing on his lips. “Nah. You actually wanna fall?”

To tease her, he loosened his grip for a split second. Nyla's heart raced as she thought she was going to crash into the ground, but Damian caught her waist perfectly on time, pulling her right back up against him.

“Gosh! You scared me!” she cried out, lightly slapping his chest.

Damian couldn't stop laughing, the sound rich and genuine.

“Why are you laughing at me!” she whined, pouting.

“You're so stupid!” he replied, pushing her away lightly with a grin.

“Huh? Whatever.” She rolled her eyes and playfully stuck her tongue out at him.

“Do you like candy floss?” he asked, pointing toward a colorful cart down the street.

“Not much,” she answered honestly.

“Well, you're missing out! I love it. I'll get some,” he replied, increasing his pace to head toward the vendor.

Nyla watched him go, a soft smile spreading across her face as she saw him getting genuinely excited over a blue Spiderman candy floss like a little kid.

“It's so good,” he said, walking back and taking a massive bite.

“You are already sweet. You wanna get diabetes with more sugar?” she teased.

He chuckled, holding the fluffy stick out to her. “Try it once.”

“Well, if you insist.” Nyla scanned the candy floss carefully. Instead of pulling off a random piece, she leaned in and bit directly from the exact spot where his lips had just touched. To anyone else, sharing traces of saliva might have been gross. But for Nyla, nothing about Damian could ever be gross.

“Mmm, it's nice,” she smiled, licking her lips.

“I told you!” he beamed.

Hours passed as they chatted, laughed, and walked around the city before he finally dropped her off at her house.

“It was nice hanging out with you!” Damian said as they stood by her porch. He pulled out his hand. “Friends?”

She shook his hand, her grip lingering. “Forever.”

Nyla watched him disappear down the street before stepping inside, locking the door, and sprinting upstairs. “Ahhh, I'm so happy!” she squealed, plopping face-first onto her bed. She immediately grabbed her phone and dialed her friend Lily.

“GIRL, YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE IT!” Nyla screamed into the receiver.

“Oh my god, tell me!” Lily answered instantly.

Meanwhile, Damian walked through the front door of his house, tossing his keys onto the counter. “Hey, Mom, I'm home,” he greeted.

His mother flashed a warm smile from the kitchen. “Did you get the flowers?”

Damian froze, a pit forming in his stomach. “Oh… gosh, I totally forgot,” he muttered.

“Then how are you going to ask out Chloé?”

“Oh, damn! I was hanging out with a friend, I completely forgot the time.” Damian started to panic. He had held a massive crush on Chloé for two whole years, and with prom coming up this Monday, he absolutely could not let this opportunity slide.

Back in her bedroom, Nyla was entirely lost in her own fantasy.

“I think he's going to ask you out for prom,” Lily said over the speakerphone, making Nyla blush furiously.

“You think so?”

“Yes! Have you picked out your dress yet?”

“Not yet,” Nyla replied, walking over to her closet. She threw open the doors and began rummaging through her gowns. “I have a pink one and a lilac one.”

“Lilac will suit you so much!” Lily hyped her up. Nyla smiled, agreeing with her friend as she laid the lilac dress neatly across her bed. She was absolutely certain Damian was going to ask her, so she began frantically searching her drawers for matching accessories.

Downstairs, Vincent noticed his daughter's radiant expression as she crossed the hallway. “You're quite happy today, Nyla.”

“Yes, Dad,” she replied softly, beaming.

Vincent smiled back gently. “I hope you always stay happy, princess, and that no one ever ruins your smile.”

At that exact moment, miles away, a lightbulb went off in Damian's head.

“Wait… I bought those roses for Nyla the other day!” he whispered to himself, a relieved grin breaking across his face. “I can just give those to Chloé since I forgot to buy new ones.

And just like that, the roses meant for Nyla became Chloé’s destiny—and the first spark to ignite a total disaster.

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