I stare out the window as the world turns white. Kids fill the sidewalks building snowmen or having snowball fights. A nudge of my arm catches my attention.
I turned to my left and to my surprise, Hannah was here. "Hey, whatcha thinking about?" Her dimples show with her smile. "Would it be weird if I said I was thinking about you?"
She smiled and shook her head as she leaned in. "Not at all..." She said before we kissed.
She smiled brightly again. "I love you Nicholas Peters." She whispered. I look into her hazel eyes, completely mesmerized. "I love you, Hannah Smith."
Just then I was violently shaken, waking up from my dream. "What? What is it?!" I shout at my little sister Zoey, who was the culprit. "Your phone keeps going off, hurry up and answer it, it's annoying." She said, before turning away and leaving, without shutting my door.
"Oh my g–Close the door!" I sighed, reaching over to grab my phone. At that same moment, it began to ring again. I ended the pop song blaring from my phone only after letting it play for a few seconds to annoy my sister.
"What's up?" I answered my friend, Chris's, call. "Bro I called you like a hundred times already."
"Well, I was asleep. What is it?" I say as I start getting out of bed.
"Hurry up and get dressed. Your supposed to be hanging with us today."
"Yeah, but didn't you say we're supposed to meet at 1:00?" I tiredly slipped my feet into my house shoes."
"It's already 12:30 man."
"Oh." I sighed hard. "Alright, I'll be there in ten." I say, walking towards the room door, stretching my arm.
"Oh also, this is sudden and just came up for me too, but Hannah is coming."
"What? Ow!" I ended up hitting my hand on the door frame while walking out. "Hannah is coming?"
"Yeah sorry man, I didn't know she, Lily texted me like two minutes ago saying Hannah was coming too." I could hear the awkwardness in his voice.
"Nah, it's cool man. We're part of the same friend group so it was gonna end up happening."
After I hung up the phone I realized my heart was slightly beating faster. I let out a breath of air while I walked towards the hallway bathroom.
Me and Hannah dated for seven and a half months. Everything was great, perfect even, until she decided to end things.
I didn't really take our break up well, but then again, who does? I think the hardest part about it, was the fact that when I lost my girlfriend, I also lost one of my best friends.
Me and Hannah, along with some of our other friends like Chris, Lily, and others, had known each other since elementary school.
I knew I liked her since Middle school, and when we were seniors we confirmed our feelings for one another. Then once senior year ended, even though we already made plans to go to the same University, she decided to end things.
It's been a months since then, and I go to the same University as most of the kids from my hometown since it's the closest to our city, Including Hannah. I don't see her really since we have different majors. Actually this will be my first time seeing her since our breakup.
After our break up I had tried calling and texting her a couple of times, but she had me blocked, so I had no choice but to try and move on. Yet it hasn't been easy since, I'm sure you already know, but I have frequent dreams about Hannah and our memories. She was my first love, my first time, I seriously thought that she was my endgame, the one I was gonna marry and have kids with. That was just a childish dream though.
I arrived at the restaurant where the reservation was placed. I saw old friends and new ones sitting on the way back of the restaurant, using three combined tables to fit everyone.
"Hey Nick, I thought you weren't gonna show up." Lily waved me over. "I was gonna be so mad if you ruined a day where we're all free to hang out together." We laughed.
I sat down next to her and across from me was Jay, Chris and Hannah. "Hey what's up man!" Jay cheered, slapping palms with me. "Hey..." I laughed in a weird and awkward tone, glancing over at Hannah.
"Even now that we're in college you are still always late." Hannah laughed. "It's nice to see you again Nick." Hearing her say my name in such an indifferent way made my heartache.
I smiled at her, putting on the best face I could. Though I'm not that good at having a poker face.
"How have classes been?" She started with small talk, as if we haven't known each other our whole lives. I just don't know how she looks so calm, as if nothing has happened. Well, she is the one who suddenly ended things.
Or maybe it was just sudden for me. Maybe she had been wanting to break up with me for a long time beforehand. We probably weren't that big of a deal to her, maybe all it was meant to be was a little school romance. Maybe I was the only one who had fallen in love... I need to stop these useless thoughts. She's moved on and so should I.
Towards the end of the dinner Chris said he had an announcement. He stood up and took Hannah's hand, who then also stood up. That's when I noticed the ring on her finger.
"Me and Hannah have been going out for these past few months and realized we're in love and that we have been for years so–"
"–So we decided to get engaged!" Hannah finished his sentence as they both laughed.
"We'll be getting married once we graduate with our degrees. We hope we have everyone's support."He looked at me when he said that last part.
For years? But Hannah and I had dated this previous year. Chris knew how much I loved Hannah throughout our school years? He's the one who told me to ask her out.
Everyone at the table started clapping, and the ones who've known us for years clapped awkwardly while obviously staring at me.
I immediately stood up, scraping my chair against the floor. It went silent as everyone at the table was now staring at me.
I grabbed my coat off the back of my chair before storming out. Chris and Hannah followed after me. "Wait Nick just wait!" I stopped before turning around and punching Chris in the face.
He stumbled back as Hannah grabbed onto him. Everything about them was making me pissed.
"What the hell is this Chris?! You're supposed to be my best friend man!" I began to tear up. I tried my best to choke down my tears. "You knew everything, and yet you still decided to date her?!"
"Look Nick, I understand that your upset but," She grabbed Chris's hand. "Me and Chris are in love. And once I realized that he's the one I've been in love with all these years I ended things with you before it had gone too far."
"Nick, I never wanted to hurt you. We're like brothers, but I can't control who I love."
We stood there in silence as I looked at both of them, watching their audacity. "Go to hell...both of you." I said before turning around and walking away. "Nick! Nick wait!"
If this was like one of those cheesy romance movies, rain would be pouring down over my tear-covered face. Somehow right now, I felt I needed that.
YOU ARE READING
Bound by the Novel
RomanceNick is a college student whose little sister, Zoey, is obsessed with web novels and fanfictions, so much that she even has her own. Nick, who is extremely annoyed with her obsession, happens to stumble upon Zoey's online romance novel that she just...