Secret Valentine

Chapter 5

Alice's P.O.V.

   Maybe it was a coincidence; surely he couldn’t be my secret admirer. That would be far too...perfect. And things never work out perfectly for me, so it couldn’t be. He was probably just here waiting for his Valentine to show up or something.

   “Sorry I’m late...I um...I’ve been standing over there I was kind of really nervous and, yeah,” he trailed off. So it was him?

   “Wait, so you’re...” I couldn’t quite bring myself to say the words as it sounded ridiculous. I mean someone as perfect and beautiful and kind as him being remotely interested in me as more than a friend? Surely not.

   “Your secret admirer,” he smiled, looking a little nervous. I sat there letting it sink in and trying to make sense of everything. Then it snapped. I suddenly understood why he had done this: he felt sorry for me and was just trying to help. How could I be so stupid to even believe for a single second that he really liked me? Stupid girl, of course he doesn’t think anything more of you than just a friend. Just like everyone else. What hurt the most really was the fact that I really liked him. But I suppose I would have to get used to it, he did help after all. I knew I had to put on a brave face and act like I knew all along that he was just trying to help me to stop me feeling so much like an outcast. He was trying to make me feel like I belonged, like I was all of my peers. So here goes...

   “Thank you Max,” I tried my best to smile, although I’m pretty sure it didn’t reach my eyes. “You don’t know how much it means to me that you did this. I felt really special today.”

   Max’s P.O.V.

   I don’t know why, but I got the feeling that Alice was acting a little...weird. For a start, I was surprised that she wasn’t freaked out over the fact that it was me and not someone half decent. But even if I couldn’t live up to her expectations, I still had to tell her straight out that I liked her. I mean, that was the whole reason that I bought her here, even though she’s obviously found out about my feelings for her from my letters.

   Alice’s P.O.V.

   I decided that it was probably best to stop talking now and find a way out of here before I broke down. But he sat down next to me and started speaking.

   “I suppose I should tell you that...well,” I cut him off before he could finish; I couldn’t bear to hear speak the words himself.

   “You don’t need to explain,” I shrugged, faking another smile as best as I could, but I knew it was starting to falter. “I understand.”

   “You do?” he asked.

   I nodded, “I know that you did this to make me feel accepted and everything, but I also understand that you did it just for that. I know that you didn’t mean anything that you said in the letters, you were just trying to make me feel better.”

   “What?” he asked, a look of confusion on his face.

   “I get it, I know you don’t like me and you only did it to make me feel better. But I just wanted to say thank you, you really made me smile today.” I really had to go, because I could feel the tears building up in my eyes. “I’d better be going now. Bye,” I whispered as got up and turned away, just before the first tear began to run down my face. Before I could take more than a step, I felt my hand being grabbed and I was turned around to face Max.

   “Oh my goodness, Alice! Don’t cry, you’ve got it all wrong!” he enveloped me in his arms.

   “But I haven’t Max,” I couldn’t hold it back any longer and more tears came rolling out of my eyes. “I just wanted someone to like me for once, but I was wrong. I always am, I should have learnt by now. No one will ever love me.”