stars upon my face

Chapter 25-is it really you?

Chapter 25

I woke up to the harsh glare of my apartment's morning light, feeling like I'd been run over by a truck. My head throbbed with a dull ache,

and my body felt heavy and leaden. Last night at the club must have taken a greater toll on me than I'd realized.

As I sat up in bed, memories of the evening flooded back. The music, the laughter, the drinks... and Nora.

Oh, Nora. I couldn't help but think about that kiss we shared. It was like nothing I'd ever experienced before.

"Urgh,it must have been that wine ."i knew I shouldn't have drank it"

I rubbed my eyes trying to massage away the lingering fatigue I had.

Why did I feel so drained? I hadn't had that much to drink, had I? Maybe it was just the aftereffects of adrenaline from the kiss or maybe I'm just overthinking this,right?

My phone buzzed on the nightstand, breaking the silence. I reached for it,

hoping  that it was Nora calling or texting me. And to my surprise, there were two messages from her.

"Hey James, sorry again about last night," she wrote. "I'm still trying to process everything."

"And another one: "Do you think we can talk about what happened last tonight? I need some clarity."

My heart skipped a beat as I read her words. was she thinking about us or was she not at ease with what happened.

"urgh I shouldn't have kissed her","now things would be weird between us.

But for now, all I did was just lay back on the bed,feeling nervous about what Nora wanted to say . I closed my eyes,

letting the memories of our kiss wash over me once more. Tomorrow, I would call her. "Tomorrow, I would figure out what this meant for us".

As I drifted off to sleep once more, I couldn't shake the feeling that our lives were about to change in ways we could hardly imagine.ways I never thought would come

I tossed and turned in bed, my mind racing with a million questions. What did she think about the kiss? Was it just a mistake,

or was there something more to it? Did she feel it too? And what did I even feel? Was it just a moment of weakness, or was there something deeper going on?

I threw off the covers and got out of bed, feeling restless and agitated. I needed to get out of my head,

but my brain refused to shut up. I padded downstairs, making my way to the kitchen in search of some coffee and a sense of clarity.

As I waited for the coffee to brew, I found myself pacing back and forth in front of the counter.

What was I supposed to do now? Should I call her? Should I text her again? Or should I just let things be and hope that everything would resolve itself?

I stopped pacing and stared out the window, feeling like I was trapped in a never-ending cycle of indecision.

That's when it hit me - I needed to talk to her. I needed to explain how I felt, to see if there was any chance for us.

But where could we talk? My apartment was too small, too cramped.

And besides, I didn't want to be in my own space when talking about this. It had to be somewhere neutral, somewhere we could both feel comfortable.

And then it hit me - my backyard. We could go out there, sit on the patio, and talk.

It was private, but still open enough that we could move around if needed.

I grabbed my phone and dialed her number, my heart racing with anticipation.

When she answered, I asked her if she wanted to come over and talk. There was a pause on the other end of the line, and for a moment, I wondered if she'd say no.

But then she agreed, and we made plans for her to come over in an hour.

As I hung up the phone, I felt a sense of determination wash over me. This was it - this was my chance to clear the air and figure out what was going on between us.

And as I went back upstairs to get ready for her arrival, I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and trepidation. What would happen next? Only time would tell.

I paced back and forth in my living room, trying to calm my nerves. I had no idea what to expect from our conversation,

but I knew I needed to be honest with Nora. When my phone buzzed with her call, I felt a surge of panic.

"Hey," she said, her voice soft and hesitant.

"Hey," I replied, trying to sound casual despite my racing heart.

"I'm at your door," she said, her tone neutral.

I took a deep breath and tried to compose myself. "Okay, I'll be right down."

I made my way downstairs, feeling like I was walking to my own execution. When I opened the door,

Nora was standing there, looking uncertain. I ushered her inside and we made our way to the living room.

As we sat down on the couch, the silence between us grew thicker than the air in the room.

I broke the silence first, trying to make small talk. "So, how are you doing?"

Nora shrugged. "I'm okay, I guess. A little overwhelmed, to be honest."

I nodded sympathetically. "Yeah, me too."

We sat there for a few moments in awkward silence, not knowing what to say next.

It was like we were both waiting for someone else to make the first move.

Finally, I broke the silence again. "So... about last night..."

Nora looked at me warily. "What about it?"

I hesitated, feeling my heart racing. "I just wanted to apologize  for what happened.

I know it was a mistake, and I shouldn't have kissed you."

Nora's expression didn't change, but her eyes seemed to bore into mine.

"Why did you do it?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

I shrugged, feeling a lump form in my throat. "I don't know... it just felt right at the moment?"

She nodded slowly, her eyes never leaving mine. "And did it feel right because of something more than just the moment?"

My heart skipped a beat as I realized where she was going with this. "Maybe," I admitted softly.

The silence that followed was oppressive, like a weight had been dropped on us both.

I could feel Nora's eyes on me, boring into my soul, searching for answers.