In love | Short story

m i d d l e

o l i v i a

"do you know what it's like being in love?"

"no." i answer slightly more quiet than i wanted it to be. i was a bit ashamed that i've never been in love. mostly everyone around me is 'in love' and here i am not knowing what it's like.

" infatuation, possessiveness, and obsession."

"what?" i was slightly confused on their words.

"the feeling of having a million butterflies in your stomach, or wanting to know where they are or what they're doing. worrying about them."

he was explaining what it's like being in love.

"your happiness doesn't matter anymore when you're with them. all you want to do is to see them happy. you would do anything for them.

he was speaking words from his heart.

he's given his happiness up for someone.

"when you're with or near that person, your pulse races, you get nerves. maybe the palms of your hands get sweaty or you start twitching the pen you have in your hand."

they took a pause, breathing in deeply and slowly letting it out. after a few seconds he continued.

"somedays it's unexplainable and on other days you can write pages upon pages about it. when you're thinking about them, you smile. "

he smiled; right then and there he was thinking about the person he was in love with.

"sometimes you think about the way they sleep, cuddled up next to you on your bed. when she puts her hand through her hair when she's nervous. maybe you think about when she's got this big smile on her face and she's laughing because of you. it could also be the small things about her, the small ceases in her skin, or the small dimple when she smiles slightly, or the way her eyes light up when she sees something as beautiful as she is."

chance explained what was going through his head when he was thinking about her.

"you love their faults, the small temper they may have, family issues, staying up  9am because they can't sleep sometimes, and all the other things. "

he smiles again, but this time his smile held pain, sadness.

"you want to remain with them the rest if your life, you want to marry them, have their kids, spend afternoons, mornings, nights with them until the end of time. you want and have the need to cherish every single moment you have with them. "

their voice was starting to get a little weaker, he noticed it also and cleared his throat.

"are you okay?" i questioned, slightly worried.

he didn't make eye contact with me but he nodded his head.

him and i both stood there watching the sun go down, light skies turning into beautiful colors that would soon turn dark.

"olive"

his voice was low, it seemed like he was scared for some reason.

"she's not in love with me."

there was pain in his voice, it sounded like he was about to shed a tear at any moment. i wanted to hug him and tell him that it's okay, someone will love him back one day, but something was holding me back.

"did she say she's not in love with you?" i question him, trying to think of a way to cheer him up.

"no, but yes."

his response confuses me. i was scared to ask him what he meant but before i could even say anything he speaks again.

"i love you olivia, ol, liv, olive. i'm so deeply in love with you. i know you can't return my feelings, but please be happy. do what you love to do, marry the guy you will love, but make sure he loves you more than i do. keep being your adorable, annoying, short tempered but yet amazing self. i can go on all day about this but i think i've said enough."

" chan-" before i could finish my sentence he cut me off.

"being in love sometimes will come with heart break, but you can't always pick your love or force someone to return  your love."

and with that; he left.