The next morning, I woke up to find Anna’s bed empty again. My heart skipped a beat, but this time I wasn’t worried about her absence—I was worried about what I was going to do next. I had come to terms with my feelings for her. I had fallen for Anna, with all her mystery, her quiet demeanor, and her hidden pains. And today, I was going to confess.I got ready quickly and headed to college, nervous energy buzzing through me. As soon as I entered the classroom, there she was—Anna, sitting at her usual desk, deep into her studies, as if nothing in the world could distract her. She looked calm, flipping through her textbook, taking notes in that meticulous way of hers.
I walked over, my heart thudding loudly in my chest. I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could say anything, Anna glanced up briefly and said, “Not now, Zoe. I’m studying.”
I blinked, caught off guard. “Oh, right, yeah… studying,” I mumbled, feeling a little deflated.
But I wasn’t going to give up that easily. As I sat down next to her, my mind raced with ideas on how to confess. I decided to start small. “Hey, Anna,” I whispered, leaning closer. “You know, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you…”
“Zoe, I’m in the middle of something,” she said, not even looking up from her notes.
I groaned inwardly. She’s impossible!
A few minutes later, I tried again, leaning over slightly with a nervous grin. “Anna, have you ever thought about, you know, feelings?”
“Feelings?” she asked, still focused on her book. “Like the emotions behind why a character acts in a certain way?”
“Uh… not exactly,” I said, stumbling over my words. “More like, um, personal feelings. About people.”
Anna paused for a brief second but then turned the page in her textbook, completely ignoring me.
I sighed. This is going to be harder than I thought.
---
The Grand Gesture
By the time our second lecture started, I couldn’t take it anymore. If Anna wouldn’t listen to me in class, then I’d just have to make sure we had some real alone time. That’s when the idea hit me: the terrace. No one would be there during lectures. It was the perfect spot.
I grabbed Anna’s wrist gently, pulling her away from her desk. “Come on, we’re leaving.”
She frowned and tried to pull her arm back. “Zoe, we’re going to miss the lecture.”
“I don’t care!” I said, determined. “There’s something important I need to say, and I need to say it now.”
Before she could protest, I dragged her out of the classroom and up the stairs to the terrace. It was the highest point in the building, a place where no one could see us or hear us. The walls were made of twisted metal wires, and the view overlooked the athletic fields below, where a few students were running laps, unaware of what was happening above.
Once we reached the terrace, I let go of her hand and took a deep breath. My heart was racing, but this was it—my chance to tell her how I felt. I had even bought a chocolate bar on my way to school, hoping to use it as part of my confession.
With a slightly dramatic flair, I got down on one knee, holding the chocolate in front of her like a prince offering his kingdom to a princess.
Anna blinked, clearly taken aback. “What… are you doing?”
I smiled nervously, feeling my face heat up. “Anna, I don’t know why, but ever since that day—when we got closer—I’ve been drawn to you. I always think about you. I can’t stop. And I realized… I’m in love with you.”
Anna stood still, her expression unreadable for a moment. I could feel the weight of my words hanging in the air. The nerves bubbling inside me made my hands shake slightly, but I kept the chocolate in front of her, hoping for a sign of anything.
She finally cracked a small smile, but it wasn’t the kind of smile I had hoped for. She took the chocolate from my hand, pulling me up to my feet. Her eyes met mine, and she stepped closer, closing the space between us.
“So, you really love me?” she asked, her tone not soft or warm like I had imagined. Instead, it felt almost teasing, maybe even a little taunting.
I swallowed hard, confused by her reaction. “Yes… I do. I mean it.”
Anna’s smile grew slightly, but it wasn’t the kind of smile that made you feel good. She seemed amused, like she was playing with my emotions. She tilted her head, eyes locked on mine.
“Really?” she repeated, her voice still carrying that mocking edge. “You think you love me?”
I could feel my confidence wavering. “Yes. I do.”
She stepped even closer, her presence overwhelming, and looked down at the chocolate in her hand before gazing back at me. The tension between us was heavy, and for a brief moment, I didn’t know what to expect. My confession felt like it was hanging in the balance, and Anna wasn’t giving anything away.
“Well then,” she said, her voice low, “let’s see if you can handle what loving me means.”
Her words sent a chill down my spine. It wasn’t the sweet, romantic response I had been hoping for. Instead, it felt like a challenge. A test.
What was I getting myself into?
YOU ARE READING
Her Beutiful Hell
RomanceIn the quiet halls of a college dorm, Zoe's life is turned upside down when she meets her enigmatic roommate, Anna. What begins as a simple fascination quickly spirals into an intense, complicated relationship fueled by unspoken secrets, mysterious...