Love Beyond Borders [ON-GOING]

CHAPTER 3: LATE NIGHTS AND NEW CONNECTIONS

The worst thing about a long-distance relationship is you cannot hug or kiss them; you just see them through the screen.

EILEEN'S POV

I was rushing to my best friend's birthday party, my heart pounding with the thought of being late again.

The Uber was taking forever, and my friends were blowing up my phone with messages about my whereabouts.

As I scrolled through Draven's profile, I couldn't help but admire his looks. He was undeniably handsome, but something about him screamed "player." Why was a guy like him on Tinder? Was I just one of many girls he was chatting with?

I couldn't shake off the feeling of jealousy. I mean, it was irrational, but I'd never really had a crush like this before except for Hero Fiennes Tiffin, of course.

I'd dreamed about him while watching movies, but this was different. This felt real, and that scared me a little.

Finally, I arrived at Vanessa's house.

"Vanessa! I'm so sorry for being late! I had issues with my Uber," I said, flustered. "You know how it is finding an Uber can be a nightmare sometimes."

"You always say that. I mean, you're a rich girl. Why don't you just buy a car?" she replied, rolling her eyes playfully.

"I hate using my parents' money. Plus, I just got a job as a writer. It's not much yet, but I'm saving my allowance for my own things," I replied, trying to stand my ground.

"Stop being so independent, Eileen! You were supposed to either work for your parents' company or start your own clothing brand. Writing a book isn't going to make you rich!" Vanessa teased.

I sighed. "You're my best friend, and we're supposed to support each other. This is my dream to be a published author."

"Follow your dreams, girl. I'm here for you. But remember, if you need help, just ask," Vanessa said, her tone shifting to one of sincerity.

As we entered her house, I scanned the room. There were so many people I didn't recognize, and I felt a pang of loneliness.

Vanessa was busy kissing some guy, and I considered slipping away to leave her gift in her room and make my exit.

I was about to head to her room when I noticed a familiar figure in the corner.

"Thomas?" I exclaimed, shocked to see him kissing another girl, one who definitely wasn't Candice.

He looked up, his expression a mix of surprise and irritation. "Eileen? What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here? Where's Candice?" I shot back, trying to mask my disappointment.

"Mind your own business. And if you tell Candice, you're dead. She won't believe you anyway, so just stay out of it," Thomas snapped before walking away with the girl.

How rude! I didn't care about his problems, and I hated nosing into other people's affairs. Lucky for me, I wasn't one of those people.

I sighed again. Was Draven like this?

What a nice night. I left my gift in Vanessa's room and whispered to her that I had to head home early because I had work tomorrow.

EILEEN'S APARTMENT

Once home, I kicked off my shoes, took a refreshing shower, and grabbed the book I was currently reading. Anna Todd's stories always inspired me to write, and I lost myself in them.

Afterward, I checked my Instagram and saw Draven was active. I felt a little bad about not responding sooner. Maybe I could carve out 30 minutes to chat.

CONVERSATION

"Hey, Draven! Sorry for the late response. How's your day going?" I messaged, biting my lip in anticipation.

He saw my message but didn't reply right away. Was he mad at me for not responding?

"Are you there? Are you upset?" I typed, feeling a bit anxious.

After a few minutes, he finally replied. "I'm sorry, I was busy. My day was fine. How was the party?"

"It was... not great. I ran into some people I didn't know and caught my coworker cheating on his girlfriend, who happens to be my boss's secretary," I replied, still feeling the weight of the night.

"That's rough. I had a bad day too. Just fought with my dad because he's a real grump," Draven texted back.

"Not all fathers are like that. They want their kids to be perfect. I used to fight with mine too, but now... now he doesn't care. It makes me sad," I admitted, feeling a wave of vulnerability wash over me.

My father had always pushed me to pursue a more traditional career, insisting that being a writer wasn't a real job. It was a constant source of tension between us.

"Sounds like we have similar situations," Draven replied, his tone understanding.

"Isn't life funny? My grandma and mom always said, 'In a dark life, there's always light.' If we're stuck in the dark, we can't find our way to the light," I shared, wanting to connect with him on a deeper level.

"I'd rather just hide in the dark, to be honest. I mean, I'm basically Batman," he joked, making me laugh.

It felt good to laugh, even if we were discussing heavy topics.

Then he surprised me with a request. "Can we do a video call? I just want to make sure you're the same person I've been chatting with."

"Sure! Can we do it on Instagram since we follow each other there?" I replied, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves.

"Sounds good," Draven responded.

I hesitated. Did he think I was catfishing him? Only one way to find out. I tapped the call button, my heart racing as it rang.

When his face appeared on the screen, I felt my cheeks flush.

"Hello, Eileen! You're even more beautiful than in your pictures," Draven said, flashing a charming smile.

I felt heat rush to my face. Why was he so good at flirting?

"Hi, Draven! It's nice to finally meet you... and you're really..." I stumbled over my words, reminding myself to play it cool. "Um, you're cute."

His smile widened, and I could feel my heart skip a beat.

We talked for what felt like hours, sharing stories about our families. I kept my wealth under wraps, wanting him to see me as just an ordinary woman trying to carve out her own path.

Eventually, we decided to end the call since I had to get some sleep for work tomorrow.

As I lay in bed, I couldn't help but feel a connection between us. But I needed to guard my heart. What if he turned out to be a bad person? Only time would tell.