Faking It, Lovin' It || Lingorm

Chapter 19: The Confession (Part 2)

The days following the party were calmer, more settled between Lingling and Orm. They had talked through their insecurities, and while Lingling still occasionally felt a twinge of doubt, Orm had been consistent in her affection, making her feel reassured. But Lingling knew that something bigger was looming over them—a deeper conversation about what their relationship really meant.

One evening, as they sat in Orm's apartment, the cozy atmosphere suddenly felt too quiet for Lingling. They were curled up on the couch, with Orm sketching on her tablet and Lingling scrolling absentmindedly on her phone, but Lingling's mind was elsewhere. The weight of unspoken feelings pressed on her chest, and she couldn't shake the sense that they were both avoiding something important.

"Orm?" Lingling asked, her voice softer than usual. She set her phone down, her gaze fixed on the woman beside her.

Orm looked up from her sketch, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah? What's up?"

Lingling hesitated, but only for a second. She had spent too long bottling up her feelings, hiding behind the convenience of their "fake" relationship. Now, she wanted the truth, no matter how vulnerable it made her.

"I think we need to talk," Lingling said, sitting up straighter. Her hands fidgeted in her lap, but she forced herself to meet Orm's eyes. "About us."

Orm's playful expression shifted to one of cautious curiosity. She set her tablet aside and mirrored Lingling's posture, sitting upright and facing her fully. "Okay," she said carefully. "What about us?"

Lingling took a deep breath, trying to steady the racing thoughts in her head. "I need to know how you really feel. About me, about this... whatever we're doing."

Orm's eyes widened slightly, as if she hadn't expected the conversation to go in this direction. She ran a hand through her hair, looking momentarily unsure. "I thought we were good. We talked about this, right?"

"We did," Lingling agreed, her voice steady but her heart pounding. "But it feels like we've been avoiding something bigger. We've been playing this game of pretending, and I don't want to pretend anymore. I don't want to hide behind the excuse of fake dating."

Orm stayed quiet, her brow furrowed in thought, and Lingling pressed on.

"I guess what I'm saying is... I need to know if this is real for you. Because it's real for me," Lingling confessed, her voice trembling just enough to betray how much this conversation mattered. "I don't want to keep faking it if I'm the only one who's falling for you."

The silence that followed felt deafening. Lingling could feel her heart hammering in her chest, and she was sure Orm could hear it too. She had just laid everything bare, and now all she could do was wait.

Orm blinked, her expression shifting from surprise to something more vulnerable. She opened her mouth as if to speak, then paused, her hand reaching for Lingling's. When their fingers intertwined, Orm's grip was firm, steady.

"You're not the only one," Orm said quietly, her voice softer than Lingling had ever heard it. "I didn't expect this to happen, Ling. I didn't expect to feel this way."

Lingling's breath caught in her throat. "What way?"

Orm gave her a small, almost shy smile. "I didn't expect to fall for you either. But I did. I've been falling for you since the day we started this whole thing. I just... I wasn't sure how to tell you."

Lingling's heart fluttered, relief and disbelief mixing in her chest. She had waited so long to hear those words, but now that they were finally spoken, she wasn't sure what to say.

"I didn't know if you were ready for something real," Orm continued, her thumb gently rubbing against Lingling's hand. "And I didn't want to scare you off by saying it too soon."

"I am ready," Lingling said, her voice more confident now. "I've been ready. I just didn't know if you felt the same."

Orm chuckled softly, shaking her head. "I guess we've both been a little clueless, huh?"

Lingling smiled, the tension in her chest finally easing. "Yeah, I guess we have."

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, letting the weight of their confessions sink in. Then Orm leaned forward, closing the small distance between them, and kissed Lingling softly. This kiss was different from all the others—it wasn't playful or teasing. It was slow, deliberate, full of emotion that neither of them had put into words before.

When they pulled away, Orm rested her forehead against Lingling's, her eyes closed as she whispered, "I'm in this for real, Ling. No more pretending."

Lingling smiled, her heart full in a way it hadn't been before. "Me too."

They sat together, their hands still intertwined, knowing that this was the beginning of something deeper. The uncertainty and fear that had once held them back were gone, replaced by the quiet certainty that they were both finally on the same page.

For the first time, their relationship wasn't about expectations or performances. It was real, and that made it infinitely better.