Midnight Love || ✔️

12:00 am

xxiii || twenty-three

THE CITY spread out like a sky of stars, the lights of buildings glittering and sparkling under the dark night sky which twinkled with its own stars. But to Ella, nothing was as beautiful as this feeling, the feeling of being close to Noah, the silence between them comfortable.

"It's so beautiful," she said.

"Yeah," murmured Noah, but he wasn't looking at the landscape—he was looking at her.

Ella had arranged for them to have dinner on the roof of a building. Buildings in Ottawa typically weren't high, mostly because for the longest time nothing would be built higher than the Peace Tower, which was fairly short. Now, buildings were starting to shoot up, and Ella was lucky to get this place.

It was thanks to Ophelia, though, whose father owned the building.

The roof was set up with a small circular table, covered in a white tablecloth and two chairs set across from each other. The floor around it was littered with red rose petals, and they were close enough to the edge of the roof that they could see the expanse of the city. But Ella made sure that it was far enough that they weren't teetering in the edge, at risk of falling at any second. She wasn't like that couple who had their wedding on a net suspended over a cliff. She shuddered just thinking about that video. Some people had no respect for their lives.

The table was set elegantly, and Ella reminded herself to thank Ophelia graciously for this. She had hooked her up with the catering company (which her mother owned) and was there to help her decide between the countless things that made no sense to Ella. It was a mutually beneficial experience, but Ella was still grateful.

As they sat, a waiter came to pour their drink—soda, since both dislike alcohol, and they're underage, and told them the menu. Ella had chosen foods she knew Noah liked, either he told her or she got from his friends.

Noah was giddy when he realized it was all his favourite food, and Ella felt a flush of satisfaction at his happiness. She was glad that he was enjoying himself, and to be honest, she was enjoying this date, too.

"I can't believe you got all my favourites," he said.

"I shouldn't get all the credit. I got a lot of help," she confessed with a sheepish smile.

Noah shook his head. "Still. You asked. I just . . . I don't think anyone had ever gone to such lengths to make a night about me," Ella grinned.

"I'm glad I could be the first," she said.

Ella and Noah ate and chattered for hours, ending their spectacular meal by sharing a chocolate cake, which didn't end well. They had to ask for another one because both refused to give space for the other to take a bite. It didn't matter that they were falling in love with each other. This was chocolate. It was their one true love.

Nothing was more important than chocolate.

Finally, when the meal ended and their allocated time on the roof was up, they made their way down to the city. It wasn't really safe at night in downtown, but Ella enjoyed it nevertheless. She wished to move down here when she grew up, to live in the heart of the city. The suburbs were fine, but they were the suburbs. Ella felt like she didn't belong there, she needed a more lively place to live. Ironic considering her shy personality, but alas, life was like that.

Noah and Ella held hands as they walked down the street towards where they parked their car, smiling contentedly. "Did you like it?" she asked. By the way he was smiling, she knew he did, but she still wanted to hear it.