So yeah, I ghosted him for a hot minute. Well, more like a cold fortnight. We were kissing everywhere: classrooms, the bus yard, even the library... I should really stop before I sound like a kissing tour guide. It's been two weeks of this nonchalant kiss-and-run routine. Tonight, over dinner, maybe I'll actually get a chance to have a conversation with him.
I found myself standing in front of the Huang house, with my parents mingling beside me. When the door swung open, the lively chatter of guests filled the air. After greeting everyone, I wandered around, eventually deciding to seek out Emery since he was nowhere in sight. As I walked down the hallway, I was suddenly pulled into one of the rooms. I gasped, but quickly realized it was none other than Emery's own room.
Emery kept a tight grip on my wrist, drawing me nearer as he wrapped his arms around my waist. His hand gently held my face, and for a moment, I was captivated by his beautiful eyes. Quickly realizing where this was heading, I pushed against his chest and took a seat on his bed.
"Everything alright?" he asked, his eyes meeting mine. "You think everything is alright?" I replied sharply, but he remained silent. Sensing his presence beside me on the bed, I turned to face him. "Emery, this has to stop. And by stop, I mean now."
I stared at Emery, waiting for his response, but he didn't meet my eyes. Instead, he looked away, his jaw clenched. After a tense moment, he sighed heavily, his fingers drumming nervously on his knee.
"I know," he muttered finally, his voice tight with frustration. "I just... it's not that simple."
I frowned, feeling a mix of irritation and sympathy. "What do you mean it's not simple? This isn't working for me, Emery. It's confusing and... and it's not fair."
He shifted uncomfortably, avoiding my gaze. "I know, okay? But... I care about you. You know that."
I scoffed lightly, my frustration bubbling up. "Caring about me doesn't mean you can keep doing this. It's not fair to either of us."
"No, you don't, Emery. All you do is use me like a toy," I rambled, my voice shaking with frustration. "All I wanted were answers from you. Why were you treating me so badly? Being so rude to me after everything we've been through? All I wanted was to be close to you again, like we used to be before I moved away. But you pull this whole jerk act, and now we're in this mess."
"What's..." I silently whispered.
"Lia, all I ever did was think about you," he said, his voice softening but filled with emotion. "For the first few weeks, I thought it would just be a phase, that I would get over this, and we could maintain our friendship. Then I realized how fucking boring my life was and how everything I did revolved around you. From the stupid homework which I didn't need but did for you, to the library runs just to spend more time with you. The projects I chose so that we could do them together. Everything I did as a fucking 10-year-old was about you. Imagine, Lia, imagine. I was fucking 10 when my dumb brother told me I was in love with you. I had to cut contact with you because I had to move on. Can you imagine how I spent five years of my life, and all I did was think about you?"
Then the room fell silent. The weight of Emery's words hung in the air, heavy and raw. I stared at him, my mind racing to process everything he had just confessed.
"Emery...I had no idea," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "Then why did you hate me so much when I came back?"
"Because I was mad. Hello, mad after all the suffering I went through, only for you to just come back into my life. It was not fair, Lia," he said, his voice tinged with frustration.
I looked at him, my heart aching. "So, do you regret having me back in your life?" I asked, my voice barely audible, my gaze fixed on the floor.
There was a dead silence for a few minutes, the tension almost unbearable.
"No," I heard him whisper, his voice soft but firm. "That's how stupidly in love I am."
