Valentine's Date

a little advice

Miranda's eyes were glued to the ceiling.

For the past two hours, she'd been inspecting the dimples of the cement, and its fading color. It's a few hours past 12, marking the end of Valentine's Day. But she felt just as horrible as the previous day.

Ben confessed to her he was in love with her.

And like a stupid, polite girl, she'd rejected him, and he'd walked away from her.

True, she could understand why he did that. It probably hurt to look at her. Granted, she also hated herself right now.

What she couldn't comprehend though, is why the hell the sight of him turning his back on her and leaving, was making her heart squeeze in pain.

She couldn't understand any of it. Looking at Ben's eyes as he waited for her answer, she felt relief, somehow. But why?

Miranda held in back her tears. She was so conflicted. Ben was her best friend. And he's always been there for her through thick and thin.

And his feelings are clouding her brain. He loved her all this time? Why didn't he say anything? Why did she never notice?

Miranda sighed. Finally turning her eyes away from the damned ceiling, she turned over, grabbed her phone from her bedside and dialed her other best friend's phone number.

It took 3 times before the Latina answered.

"Jesus, Miranda, what?' Callie said, panting. That's when she realized that her girl best friend may be partaking in activities she does not want to know the details to.

Miranda blushed. "Oh, uh, nevermind."

Callie paused, then sighed. A little rustling came from her side. Then, "Okay, no. It sounds important, go ahead."

She took a deep breath and outloud, she said, "Ben loves me. You… you were right."

The Latina snorted. "About time. Congrats, Bailey. Now, can I get back to, uh, my job?"

"You're with Robbins, I gather."

"Yeah, doing some, you know, work stuff."

Miranda raised an eyebrow. Her friend's love life was proving to be a good distraction. "Calliope Iphegenia Torres."

Callie laughed. "Okay, fine! We slept together, and you're interrupting."

"Well, tell me what to do. I told you what happened." She hurried out. "So you can get back to your horizontal tango."

"Wait, what happened?"

Miranda huffed. She loved Callie, but sometimes, she can be pretty slow. "Good God, Torres. Benjamin Warren confessed his love for me tonight. Not friend-love, but you know, love-love."

The woman on the other side of the call was quiet. "And… that's a problem, because…?"

She kept quiet. She knew Callie was not that daft. She waited a few more moments.

"Oh. My. God. Miranda, did you friendzone the guy?" She asked, incredulously.

Miranda squinted. "And what the hell is a friendzone?"

"Bailey, it's what the kids say nowadays. It means, you said you were just friends. Basically, you rejected the guy." Callie explained.

The small woman closed her eyes. That's exactly what she did, damn it. Why the hell does the new generation keep coming up with new stuff to say when the old words were just fine? "...yeah. I… I did that." She winced. "And he walked out on me."

"Fuck, why would you do that?"

Miranda stood, scoffing. She walked around her bedroom in circles. "We're friends, Callie! I… I don't feel that way about him." She waved her hands in the air, trying to prove her point, but her throat burned like she just said a lie.

"Yeah. Sure." Callie retorted sarcastically. She sighed, continuing on before Miranda could get a word in. "When you're with him, you don't feel anything? At all? Just the same, when you look at me? Just friends?"

"I-I…" she trailed off, the fight leaving her suddenly. Callie's words hit her like a truck.

She didn't stop, though. "And when you don't hear from him, you don't miss him? When someone comments on how gorgeous he is, you don't get jealous?" Miranda pursed her lips, trying to fight her heart, who was saying 'yes, i do,' to every question she was being thrown at. "When he touches you, you don't imagine him touching every single part of you?

"Girl, if you can answer 'no' to those without even a hint of hesitancy, then okay, sure, you're right. You're just friends. But if some part of you knows that 'yes' is the right answer, then Miranda, honey, you're definitely in love with Ben."

Miranda held in her breath. She didn't know what to say. On one hand, she felt like if she answered 'no,' she would be lying to herself, but if she answered 'yes,' then it would mean she's been lying to herself this whole time, and she, indeed, loved Ben.

Callie took her silence as a 'yes.' "I thought so. Alright, let's talk tomorrow. Update me, okay? Now, I gotta get back to, uhm, work."

Miranda sighed. What is she gonna do now? It seemed like Callie may be right. Maybe she loved Ben, not just in a platonic way.

She thought about him. From his smooth, brown skin, to his stunning eyes, his luscious lips, his broad shoulder, and his gentle hands. She closed her eyes, remembering every single time he touched her and how it sent tingles up her spine. She remembered tonight, especially, when he held her hands and kissed her knuckles as he professed his love for her.

With a gasp, she opened her eyes.

She loved Ben. She did. Oh, sweet Jesus, she's so in love with Benjamin Warren.

For a minute, Miranda felt her heart swell, and her lips curve into a smitten smile, until she recalled how she rejected him.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" She exclaimed to herself, as tears reached the corners of her eyes.

And then an idea settled itself into her brain. She smiled again.

She was getting her man back.