Excerpt: Seventeen Kisses

I searched for a can in the freezer but to my disappointment, there wasn’t any. Suddenly remembering Delia’s instructions, I headed towards the large kitchen storage that was in the cellar.
The noise from the party upstairs died down as I went deeper, climbing down the stairs slowly and cautiously. I switched on the lights and saw the cans on the other side of the room. I ran quickly towards the shelf, feeling a little uneasy with the quietness and the dim light and plucked as many as I could handle. Carefully placing them in between my arms, I turned to leave when I collided into a solid, hard wall.
“Ow!”
My eyes shot up and cold, grey eyes looked down at me. I stared at them for a second before moving away with a jump. The cans fell of from my hands and I gaped openly at the newcomer.
“Oh, I didn’t know anyone was here.” I said, my heart thumping madly at the sudden shock. I gave a nervous laugh as he continued looking at me with narrowed eyes.
He still hadn’t said anything and his steady, unflinching gaze was giving me the nerves. Not knowing what else to do, I bent down to pick up the drink cans that were now scattered all over the floor, feeling very aware of how impossibly good-looking he was. From a small sound, I knew he had also fallen on his knees to help me.
“I am sorry.”
His voice was cold, smooth. He didn’t sound the least apologetic. I gave a shrug and bent forward to pick up the last one when he also leaned to pick it up. Our hands met, a breath away from the can and I removed mine immediately, shocked at the electric wave that passed through my arms.
My breathing was a little irregular as I stood up and pretended to be absorbed with the arranging of cans in my arms. I had never experienced such a feeling before. The intensity of how much he shook me was shocking and if I admitted truthfully, much more frightening.
I went past him, distancing myself from his presence. When I reached the stairway, I waited for him to catch up, careful not to be caught ogling at his face.
“Are you coming?”
He wasn’t in any hurry, taking leisure strides to reach where I was waiting. He was impossibly tall with long legs that even in his slow walk, he reached me in seconds.
I flicked off the switch and the light gave way to darkness. I blinked my eyes for a minute. The door, ten steps above suddenly opened with a loud creak and I jumped a little with fear. “Hello?” I called out to the boy who had helped me pick up the cans.
Silence greeted me. Feeling anxious to go upstairs, I climbed up the steps and every step took me towards the light from the kitchen. The light brightened as I reached the kitchen and I pushed the door a little further so that it could light up the dark staircase.

There was no one. He had disappeared.