The best man

Chatper 2

It always felt like Conor *knew* me, even from the very beginning. He had this knack for sensing that I didn't have many friends, if any, and without ever saying it aloud, he made it his mission to include me in everything. I remember how, during those early days, I'd be curled up in my dorm room with a book, content to lose myself in the pages. And then, just like that, he'd burst in, full of energy, and drag me out for lunch with James and Shelly. It was as if he saw through my solitude, recognizing that I needed company even when I didn't say so.

We did everything together. He'd take me to parks, we'd eat ice cream like carefree kids, and sometimes, he'd just drive me around, playing our favorite songs. We went hiking, saved up for little trips, and those moments with him and his friends started to fill the empty spaces in my life. Every night, I'd find myself lying in bed, giggling, thinking about how happy I felt. It was like I'd finally found a place where I belonged.

As I said before, I loved Conor, and I loved him deeply. But I never had the courage to say anything. I convinced myself that just being near him, being his friend, was enough. It had to be.

And then there was that night—the New Year's Eve of 2011. James and Kelly were throwing a party, and Conor brought me along, as usual. We danced, we sang, and for the first time in a long while, I let myself loosen up. I even drank a little, but Conor, well, he was *very* drunk. Later, we ended up on the rooftop of James' apartment, away from the noise and the crowd, the cold air biting at our skin.

Conor was rambling, slurring his words in a way that made no sense at all. I couldn't stop laughing at him. He was trying so hard to form a coherent sentence, and I had to ask him, between my fits of giggles, "What on earth are you talking about?"

It was one of those nights where everything felt perfect, even in its chaos. Up there on that rooftop, with the city lights twinkling below us, I felt like I truly belonged. I didn't feel like the outsider for once; I was part of the moment. Conor had a way of making me feel included, like I wasn't just the girl in the background. And that meant everything to me, even if I could never put it into words.

Then came *that* moment—so clear in my memory, even now. We were laughing together, and suddenly, he held my head with a tenderness I'd never felt from anyone. His blue eyes locked onto mine, and for a brief second, the world seemed to stop. And then, just like that, he kissed me.

It wasn't planned. It wasn't something I expected, but it happened. He pulled back, his eyes searching mine, almost like he was questioning what had just occurred. My heart was racing, and for a moment, I couldn't move. And then, without thinking, I kissed him back—harder, longer. It was passionate, consuming, like all the unspoken feelings I had buried for years finally found a way out.

In that kiss, everything I had kept hidden surfaced.