To Girls You've Ever Loved | ✔️

Chapter 18

Dallas Everett

Reality took a quick snap on me. I must be going nuts. I covered my eyes with my arm resting above my eyes. Romanticizing life was just as easy for me, though falling in love was something that I had lacked while I romanticized everything in life. I mean, it is something I should experience once.

Everything about relationships doesn't give me the motivation to give in myself to someone who I cannot feel the risk to make a change. I'd like to be single, but once I met Dahlia, I wanted to know everything about the word love.

"Dallas?" a knock from my door then followed. "It's me." I recognized that it was Alex, his voice started becoming distinct for me. "Come in." He entered the room, carrying a wine bottle and two clear stemless wine glasses, clanging and making a vibration.
"What's wrong with you nowadays?" he gawked at me and poured the wine slowly into the wine glasses, one for him and one for me. "I'm just all fucked up with what I'm feeling for Dahlia." I sighed as I clasped the wine glass, rotating it as the wine swayed. "I'm a mess.. I'm not the right guy for her now, and here I am regretting letting myself fall for her instead of fixing myself for her first."
"If you have uncertainty that things won't work out, why don't you become better for her instead of fucking yourself up?" as he shouted, and looked at me. "You say you don't need anyone, but you're fucking unstable. Dahlia's right there! I'm sure she's willing to help you get out from the dark, Dallas. Just put your fucking trust, just for once even if it's not to me."
"But I'm a fucking insane man! I'm not the right person for her, I can't Alex. I can't. I'm scared that if I were to protect her, I'd be harmed." as I looked at him as much as these desolate gazes had finally started finding its way out.
"Did she tell you that you can't be the right person for her? How'd she feel?" I shook my head and replied. "Who knows?"
"Then why don't you talk it out with her? You guys are almost finishing college, it's just six fucking months left." Within those six months, I had the opportunity to be the better man for her. I didn't wanna waste any more of my time.
"Your sister called me here, she is really concerned about you. She thought you might hurt yourself again." I looked at him and started spitting out a question. "Do you like January?" I looked at him. "I don't. I'm just taking care of her."
"That's good." It didn't bother me if they both liked each other, but I didn't want them to commit to one because they were both the closest to me and I couldn't afford it if they broke up. I stood up in realization I have to head back and free myself from guilt so I could freely see myself going back home. I had to go to Dahlia, I needed to see her.

"I'm going." as I grabbed my jacket and the keys as I ran out of the house. "Hey, it's raining and there is currently traffic! Bring an umbrella at least."
If loving Dahlia was a war, then I'm her soldier. If loving this girl was against my plans and will make me the sinner, I'd go through hell and back so I could spend this one lifetime with her.
I just wanna be hers, so grant me this once.

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Dahlia

The doorbell rang and went to the front of the door, and as soon as I opened it. I saw Dallas, drenched in rain. He was looking so fatigued as he panted loudly. "What'd you do? Didn't you bring-" he hugged me tightly and mumbled. "I needed to see you as much as possible." as he closed in our distance, as he hugged me tightly. His lips pressed lightly on my collarbones, and I calmly asked him to sit down. "The traffic lasted for thirty minutes, I couldn't hold on any longer so I just ran and left my car." He talked as he coughed lightly. "I wanted to talk to you."
"You could've waited longer, Dallas. You're gonna get sick now, have you eaten? I'll cook something for you." I stood up and he grasped on my wrists as he refused to.
"Say it."
"Dahlia, are you serious about liking me?" He asked seriously, and I knew I had to answer him back honestly. "I am." Despite denying my feelings all along I knew I had to give him and myself an answer, to give in and make love a word that we had both won in life. "It's, the thing is, I also like you. So much more than you think, Dahlia."
"If you like me, then we're both different. It's because rather than liking you, I love you." I held his hands and gripped it tightly as I grasped him into my embrace. An embrace full of security and assurance that I'll protect him.

"How do you effortlessly say the right thing?" he asked.
"Maybe because I say the right things for you only." I smiled as I held his neck, caressing it. I looked at him sweetly, and closed in the distance within our foreheads gently. "I'll dry your hair down with the towel, lower your head." as he slowly bowed his head down as he adjusted to my height. I swiftly surrounded his neck with the towel I grabbed. I rubbed the towel against his damp, slippery hair. I dried his hair thoroughly so that his hair was almost parched. Dallas grabbed my wrist and put it down making the towel fall back to his neck. "It's already dried out, your arms will ache if you continue rubbing."

I didn't bother to reply but I looked at him, my eyes brightened as my face invoked delight, I was happy that he chose to come over and talk to me.
"Thank you." I looked at him.
We connected our eyes together. "For what?"
"For holding onto me."
As he grabbed my hand and held it in front of my face, looking glad. "Like this?"
Thank you for making me see what we could have.