𝑨𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒆𝒕

𝑯𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒖𝒕𝒕 𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒔

                Chapter fourteen
Elora

As the day waned and the twilight hues painted the sky, I found myself traversing the path alongside the tranquil river, headed back to our temporary abode. The soft rustle of the wind through the trees and the gentle lapping of water against the shore created a serene backdrop for my thoughts.

In the distance, I spotted Sokka, standing motionless by the riverbank, his gaze fixed intently on the flowing water. His eyes seemed to gleam with a mixture of contemplation and determination, as though he were searching for answers in the shimmering currents.

"Sokka?" I called out, my curiosity piqued, as I approached him. He was always a puzzle, a complex tapestry of thoughts and emotions, and I found myself drawn to his enigmatic nature.

"Sunshine!" he greeted me with a hint of warmth, a term of endearment that caught me off guard.

Sunshine?

"I was waiting for you. I... I have something important to tell you," he confessed, his voice tinged with hesitation, igniting my curiosity even further. I was always a nosy person, eager to uncover the layers beneath the surface, even when it ventured into realms beyond my own concerns.

"Well, more like confess something... something about a promise I made," he continued, his words hanging in the air with a weighty significance.

"What promise, Sokka?" I inquired, perplexed by his cryptic statement, while he averted his gaze, releasing a heavy sigh as if grappling with his inner turmoil.

"I'm not sure how to say this but here goes nothing .. After.... After our mother passed away, the whole family was in grief, but nothing compared to the agony our father suffered. For months, even years, he existed as just a shell of his old self. His smile faded, and he barely touched his food hell he looked like he didn't even want to breathe , consumed by his love for her. And seeing his suffering" he revealed, his voice laden with emotion, each word carrying the weight of his past sorrows.

"I made a promise to never fall in love, I was afraid of the pain of loss that fallows it. No matter how wonderful love may seem, it can be snatched away in an instant, leaving only agony behind," he confessed, his words drawing him closer until he stood mere inches from me, his earnest gaze searching mine for understanding.

As I listened to his confession, my heart swelled with empathy, and I struggled to comprehend the depths of his emotions. Why was he sharing this with me? And what does it have to do with me? The questions swirled in my mind.

"I never wanted to fall in love... but then, one day, you flashed that sunny smile of yours, and I found myself tumbling head over heels like an idiot." He said.

"You're the love that snuck up on me, catching me off guard before I could even say no. I fought against it with everything in me, but I kept falling deeper and deeper, like drowning in an ocean of emotions. And you, you stubbornly refused to fade away. Resisting feelings like these takes strength, and when it comes to you, I'm anything but strong, I am the weakest." he confesses, his smile a bittersweet reflection of his vulnerability.

His words reverberate in the air, and I'm left stunned by his admission and I'm holding my breath terrified to move to leave this moment.

He loves me?

my vision is engulfed in white, a brief flash that leaves me momentarily blind. All I can hear is the thunderous rhythm of my heart, echoing in my ears, drowning out any other sound. It's as if my mind has been swept away by a storm, leaving me adrift in a sea of tumultuous emotions.