My Fictional Boyfriend

Chapter 8 ~ Ellipsis

"Do you believe that one choice can define you?" I asked Marvin while we were in my room and scrolling to the discussion page of another website I stumbled upon.

"I just don't believe one choice can define who you are. I mean, it isn't about what you choose. Yes, it is a great thing to consider but it isn't only about what we choose, but why we choose it," he explained. "Let's say..." He thought of an example. "A prostitute woman. When we know someone who has a job like that, we will think she is unrespectable, dignity-less, and dirty person. We forget to ask why she chooses to be like that. Once we do, I guess we will change sides. Poverty, hunger, survival, maybe they don't really want to do it; they just don't have the will not to do it. We need the story beyond the choice they make because it matters before we judge."

"So, what you are trying to say is that..."

"For me, the question is not about what choice you made, rather, the reason why you made that choice. One choice can't define you, but why you made it does." He clarified.

"It is not 'to be or not to be', but 'why to be and why not to be'?"

"Exactly."

"It doesn't matter what you are here, because what matters is that why you are here. I know the answer: It is because I need you."

For minutes we stayed listening to each other's breathing and the sound of my keyboard typing.

I stood, "I want to eat. I am hungry."

"I'll come with you." He stood and followed me downstairs to the kitchen. I brought my laptop to continue writing.

I microwaved ready-to-cook popcorn and drank fresh milk from the fridge. I sat beside him on the breakfast island counter and opened my laptop. How can he sit? "Hey, readers seem to like our story. I reached hundreds of votes and reads in less than a month."

He chuckled. "I can't wait to see this story published as a real book."

I looked at his deep shining eyes. "It is my dream now, you know. I never imagined I would dream about that. I was not really into writing."

"Love is unexpected," he said.

"I guess those unexpected types of love are the best. I didn't even expect you to be in my bedroom a week ago and here you are."

I continued writing with the popping sound of the popcorn. I felt his gaze, so intimate at me. "Hey, what will you say if I said how much I love you?"

"Well..." he looked up to think. "Honestly I don't know. Maybe I would be speechless."

"Speechless? How can I write it here?" I laughed.

"Just put some ellipsis," he took my laptop and typed three periods.

. . .

"Just that? No 'I love you too'?" I pouted like a little child.

Marvin smiled. "You're underestimating this ellipsis. You don't know what it holds. It might contain thousands, even millions, of letters and feelings. All sort of things, an infinite collection of words within those three dots."

"I never knew that's how important an ellipsis is." I smirked at the sweet things he said, new knowledge for me.

"We often give different meanings to similar things. But for me, an ellipsis contains a forever within the the three periods. A mystery that others may not perceive unless it's for you. I want to spend an ellipsis with you." He held my hand. "Will you be my ellipsis?"

"Yes. Yes, My Ellipsis." I squeezed his hand and hugged him.

"I love you, Ella Grace Gomez."

"Ellipsis," I said. "That means 'I love you too.'"

I continued writing again, adding a new chapter about Ellipsis. I felt him staring at me so I glanced at him, "You're doing it again."

He acted innocently. "What? I am not doing anything."

I laughed. "You are staring at me again and doing that smile of yours."

"But admit it, you love it." He raised a brow in a mischievous and arrogant way, but still sweet and cute.

I brushed his hair, "I certainly do."

"I will keep on doing it, or I can stop if you want."

"No, no. It is my simple source of pleasure."

"Then, it is my privilege to do so." He stared at me, smiling. I returned the favor and stared back. His eyes were swallowing me; an infinite glow of emerald.

I tucked my hand on his waist. We moved our face and body closer. This was an intimate moment. We leaned closer. I spent most of my time fascinating how my first kiss would be. I never imagined it would be here at our kitchen in the middle of the night with this guy I loved for a short period of time yet that short while felt so real, so long. Seemed like I've known him for years...

The sound of the microwave timer made us both jump and startle. My heart was pounding. I leaned back to my seat. "I think I'm gonna die." I rubbed my chest from the shock.

"It scared the hell out of me." We got a hold of each other's gaze and laughed. I stood to get the stupid popcorn that ruined it. "Want some?"

"No, I'm fine with just having you around."

We talked about random things, and laughed at random jokes. My late nights alone were usually about homework, exams and overthinking. It was better with someone you love.

After I ate, I still couldn't feel sleep so we watched a movie in my bedroom. We were lying on the bed, my head always on his chest.

"Jamie Mendoza is so hot," I said.

"Who is hotter than the both of us?" He asked, his jealousy made me giggle.

"You're both hot in different ways," I slipped my hands under his t-shirt and rest it above his hard stomach. I can feel the warmth of his bare skin, always reminded me that he was real.

Before I went to sleep, I took my pen. "I will do what you told me. I will write it on my palm so that when I wake up and didn't see you, I will not be worried because I can read this. You are real. You and I happened. I will always hold on to that together with our ellipsis."

He watched me as I wrote on the spot he kissed last time—on the part of my left palm connected to my thumb.

He is real

When I am done, he reached for my hand and added three dots below the words. He kissed it. His breath tickled my palm, "I kissed it to make it even more real, so you won't forget."

That morning when I woke up, he was not around. There was a pang of pain that hit my chest. I thought it was all just a dream again, but I saw a glimpse on my palm. He is real...

"He is real." I repeated to myself.

I closed my eyes.

By the time I opened them, I saw him standing right in front of me with that grin I loved the most.