Can I have you back?

Chapter 1: I promised him forever.

Jess and I have been friends since high school. We were acquaintance, but we never got romantically attached with each other until the last year in college. He was the math wizard, I was the English, Science, and History nerd back then. We never met a lot, we just knew each other.

In college, Jess was the already the oh-so-hot athlete guy. He knows how to play soccer, volleyball, basketball and even computer games. He was competitive, he was a team player, so he was very popular.

In college, I, Faye, became a beauty queen and a leader. I was affiliated to almost all organizations at the university, I had a lot of friends in our community and I was popular.

We had common friends. We used to hang out with each other in all the events at the university.

Then one day, we processed our enrollment papers together because he also failed to enroll online during the announced schedule and our majors were in the same department. Our friends saw us and they started teasing us.

In one full moon, while I was in our balcony looking at the beauty of the night and enjoying the sweet breeze of the countryside, I received a text message from Jess.

"I like you," he said.

I sent the message back to him and texted, "Hahahaha. You wrongfully sent something to me."

"It was meant for you," he answered back.

"Lol. Is this some kind of a prank?"

"No, I am serious."

And that's where our story started. We had our first date in a cafe, we had our first kiss on a sunset along the beach, and we experienced a lot more first times together from then.

Our friends tell us we were meant to be. They even said we were compatible. We believed them, or more accurately, I believed them.

On our fifth anniversary, he surprised me with the best gift he could ever give- a ring.

I was inside the first branch of Cafe Rico that night. There were only a few customers because it was raining hard outside and it was almost closing time. Suddenly, all the lights inside the unit turned off. I panicked, so I went outside to see if all the establishments do not have lights too.

When I got out, everything was dark. I took my phone from my wallet and decided to text Jess so he could help me turn on the generator at the third floor of the building. But a person holding a candle came out, and another, then more people with candles came out.

The people started singing,

"Baby, now that I found you

I won't let you go,

I'll build a world around you,

I need you so..."

And he came out, the street was vehicle-empty. It was just filled with the people who were holding candles and then I realized, those were the people who have been with us along our journey together. I saw my parents, sisters, my family. I saw his parents, sisters, brothers. I saw our friends, our staff and our office mates. I was in awe. My tears just started falling. I was nervous, I had no idea what was going to happen.

He started walking towards me, slowly. He was handsome as ever. His charming big eyes, his funny wide smile, his big and muscular body. "I'd never forget this beautiful man", I thought to myself.

He did not speak, all I can hear was just the crowd singing, and my heart which was already beating very fast.

Jess kneeled in front of me, under the light of the full moon. I heard gasps, I saw the tears in my parents eyes.

"Will you be mine forever?", he asked me.

I couldn't open my mouth. I was in total awe. I was speechless.

"Love, will you be mine forever?", he repeated.

I could feel his nervousness. His palm, which was holding my right hand was sweating.

"Yes, as long as forever, I will be yours," I answered him.

Then the crowd started cheering. Our family, friends and acquaintances hugged us one by one.

I promised him I will be his forever. My promise was witnessed by our cafe, our family, friends and the full moon.