12 Steps to Not Fall in Love on Wattpad

ᴛʜᴇ "ʜᴇᴀᴅ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ʜᴇᴇʟꜱ" ᴛʏᴘᴇ 💌

I might (probably will) regret this later, but as I step onto the sidewalk, feeling the warmth of the sun on my skin, I stop pretending just for a bit. 

Not out loud, of course. But in the quiet corners of my mind, where I don’t have to fight so hard to push the thought away, I consider how I've been feeling lately. 

I don’t know what kind of spell she has put on me, but I’m definitely starting to care more than I should.

More than I wanted to. 

The city is alive around me as I make my way toward the building, the one that—hopefully—will give me a job today. My legs move with purpose, and the sun, alongside my anxiety, makes sweat drip from my forehead. I really hate summer. And I know I should be complaining about the heat or training for my interview before stepping into that office, but my mind is somewhere else.

I'm stuck on a certain blue-eyed girl who keeps flipping my world upside down. 

I always thought I was hard to love. That my insecurities, my past, my whole mess of a brain would stop me from ever liking someone enough to let them in. But here I am, entertaining feelings for a girl I barely know—who lives thousands of miles away, nonetheless—like she’s somehow bewitched me.

And the worst part? I don't even know how to do this. 

I’ve never had a girlfriend. Heck, I've never ever kissed a girl! I can barely talk to one without overthinking every word. I’m just a socially anxious mess who only recently figured out she wasn’t looking for Prince Charming in the first place. 

None of my previous relationships felt right. None felt worth it. None of them could make me stay.

But Lily does.

Lily. Now that I finally know her name, it sounds like music in my ears.

I tighten my grip on the straps of my bag as I stop at a crosswalk, waiting for the light to change. A car honks in the distance, and I force myself to focus on the present—on where I’m going. 

Job first. Emotional crisis later. 

Still, my phone buzzes in my pocket, and despite my best efforts, I want to give in. I shouldn’t be this affected by a simple notification. And yet... 

I look at the light and know it won't be green for at least one minute, so I pull my phone out of the pocket, my thumb swiping across the screen before I can talk myself out of it. 

Lily: GOOOD MORNINGGGGG I slept pretty good tbh, hbu? I'm surprised you woke up earlier than me 

Lily: Oh wait

Lily: I just realized we have a two-hour time difference LOLL 

I bite my lip, shaking my head as I type. 

You: I was worried you’d wake up tired from going to bed so late 

You: I had approximately five hours of sleep and that’s enough for me, so I slept well 

I step onto the street as people around me starts moving towards the crosswalk, the light finally changed, my feet moving on autopilot. The closer I get to the building, the more my nerves kick in.  

Her response comes in fast, and I wait until I'm on the other side to take a look.

Lily: Girl, I would stay up a whole night just for you 

I slow my pace, rereading her message once. Then twice.

If my heart keeps doing this whenever she sends me those type of messages, that girl is gonna give me a heart attack...

I don’t know what this is, or where it’s going, but for the first time in a long time, I don’t feel like running away from it. 

Today, the sky looks brighter. That blue, vibrant sea color—the kind of sky that makes even skeptical hearts believe love might actually feel like magic. 

Not love, I mean. Maybe infatuation?

Ugh, I'll totally regret this later.

I exhale sharply and push open the door to the building. 

Now, one problem at a time. First I need to get a job before I stop pretending I'm not head over heels for a girl I've never seen.