Our Story

Chapter 6-A Love Unconfessed

[Eira's POV]

The sun was beginning to dip, casting long shadows across the campus as I sprinted toward the cafeteria. The weight of my certificates felt heavier than usual, but it was a burden I carried proudly. My heart raced, not from exhaustion but from excitement—I couldn't wait to tell them. They had been my anchors through the storm of preparation, my quiet cheerleaders, even when I doubted myself.

The interview had gone so well, better than I could have dreamed. I rounded the corner in my hurry, and my feet barely touching the ground. Then, just like that, it happened. I crashed into someone. The collision was sudden, the impact jarring, and in that split second, everything seemed to freeze. Papers flew from my hands, scattering like leaves in the wind. My heart leaped to my throat as I bent down quickly to gather them up before the breeze could whisk them further away. I was so caught up in my task. "I'm sorry," a hurried voice said. I glanced up, but the man was already bending down, helping me pick up the papers.

He was wearing a mask, so I couldn't see his face—just his eyes, deep and focused, and a few strands of hair that fell onto his forehead as he moved. He handed me a few sheets, his fingers brushing mine for the briefest moment before he stood up. "I'm really sorry. I'm in a rush," he said again, his voice smooth but distant, as though his mind was already somewhere else. Then, without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked briskly away. I stood there, still clutching the papers, watching him leave. Something about him felt... familiar.

And then I saw it. The tattoo on his forearm—one I couldn't mistake. My breath caught in my throat. I'd seen that tattoo before, months ago, in a fleeting moment I'd never forgotten. 

It's him.

I froze, my mind spinning as I tried to make sense of what was happening. He reached his car, a sleek black vehicle that matched the air of mystery around him. The realization sent a jolt through me, and before I knew it, I was moving, following him.

"Wait!" I called out, my voice barely audible over the rush of my own heartbeat. But he didn't hear me—or maybe he chose not to. He slipped into the car, and in seconds, he was gone. I stood there, frozen for a moment, watching his car disappear into the distance. 

My breath caught in my throat, and suddenly, without warning, tears welled up in my eyes. I didn't even understand why I was crying, but the water flowed down my cheeks, and they fell silently to the ground, mingling with the dust of the campus. It was as if all the emotions I had been holding inside had finally found their release.

Before I could even try to gather myself, I found my feet moving, my legs carrying me on auto-pilot toward the cafeteria where Sam and Arjun were waiting for me. My chest tightened with the weight of everything I was feeling—the missed chance, the fleeting encounter. When I reached them, Sam and Arjun looked up at me, their faces etched with concern. They must have seen the tears streaming down my face, the way I was barely holding it together. Sam stepped forward, his hands hovering in the air as if unsure whether to comfort me. "Eira, what happened? Was the interview okay?"

Sam's voice broke through the haze. It was soft, filled with concern, as always. Arjun stood beside him, his gaze steady and watchful, offering silent reassurance. I didn't speak at first. I just ran into their arms, clutching them both tightly as the tears I'd held back for so long poured out. They didn't ask. They never pushed. They just let me be, their presence saying more than words ever could. Finally, I pulled back, wiping my face and trying to find the courage to speak. My voice trembled as I began, "I need to tell you something... something I've never told anyone before." 

Sam and Arjun exchanged a brief glance but stayed silent, waiting. "It's about someone," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "Someone I've been carrying in my heart for a long time. You don't know him—I never talked about him before—but he's been a part of me since... since I first saw him." I took a shaky breath, my fingers curling into fists as the memories came flooding back. "It was so simple, really. I saw him one day, through the bus window. I didn't even know his name. But from that moment, he became... everything. I couldn't explain it then, and I still can't, but he was always there, in the back of my mind." 

Sam's expression changed slightly, his lips parting as if he wanted to say something, but he stayed quiet.

"I thought it was just a crush," I said, my voice breaking. "Something fleeting. But today, when I saw him again... I realized it's so much more than that. It's not just a crush. It's was more than that—real and overwhelming. And I've decided..." I paused, looking at them both as tears welled up again. "I've decided that the next time I see him, I won't hold back. I won't let him slip away again. Not this time." 

The words hung in the air, heavy and raw. I felt a strange mixture of relief and vulnerability, having finally spoken the truth that had been locked inside me for so long.

Silence holds for minutes!!

But then, a thought struck me, and I turned to Sam, my voice softening. "Sam... earlier, you said you wanted to tell me something. What was it?"

His eyes met mine, and for a moment, I saw something unspoken in their depths—something that made my heart ache in a way I couldn't quite place. But then he smiled, that warm, comforting smile that always made me feel safe.  "It's nothing, Unicorn," he said gently. "It can wait. Right now, what matters is you being happy." 

I wanted to question him, to ask what he meant, but something about the way he looked at me stopped me. Arjun's hand rested lightly on my shoulder, his silent support a constant reminder that I wasn't alone. In that moment, surrounded by my two closest friends, I felt an odd mix of emotions—love, gratitude, and a flicker of guilt I couldn't quite understand. My path was clear now, but as I held onto them both, I couldn't help but wonder... what were they feeling?For now, though, I clung to the bond we shared, silently vowing that no matter what came next, we would face it together.

Authors Note:

Thanks for Reading!!

Let's see what happens next!!