Our Forbidden Love

XI : Annual Free-Day Event

Cataryna's POV

"If you won't utter a single word I will take your silence as your official answer."

It's been hours since she said those words, but they keep echoing in my mind.

I hate how her choice of words can silence me, leaving me speechless and closed off. I didn't know how to respond, or if I even should.

The idea of settling for less feels like I'd never truly be in a relationship with her.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Hannah walked into the room, carefully setting a stack of folders down on her wooden study desk.

I looked at her, then shook my head.

"I'm as confused as you are," she said, sitting beside me and squeezing my hand. "Parker's complicated, but once she knows what she wants, she's fully aware of everything about it."

I looked down at my knees, still unable to find the right words to say.

"Do you think I could date her after college?" I asked quietly. Hannah's eyes widened before she laughed.

"Dumbass, what are the odds that you two will remain the same? God forbid she might date someone else if you let anyone get her first."

"She's not some fucking trophy though—" I argued as she cut me off.

"Yes, baby, she's the game itself and you keep winning if you'll allow her to be aware of your thoughts and whatnots about this budding romance you both have."

"What if we break up in the middle of the semester? That's going to be such a pain in the ass. I would lose everything if I lose her,"

Hannah then gave me a teasing look. "Why don't you say that to the fabulous Fallon herself?"

Get a grip of yourself, Cataryna.

If I let her down in the past few years, could I mend our relationship with the power of courtship?

But she does it better, though!

She writes poetry, knows literature and classics, then what should I do?

Ranging from 1-10 I bet if I write something for her at this very moment, the output would turn out to be a 5.

She appreciates the little-est things though?!

How do we make a hopeless romantic's heart fluttered?

...

Students from all grade levels fill the cafeteria with their chatter, a constant hum that somehow manages to drown out my thoughts—thoughts that inevitably drift back to the love I left behind in high school.

Hannah waved me over, offering me a seat at her table where she wanted to introduce me to her new seatmate, an exchange student. But I declined. Today, I wasn't in the mood for forced socializing. I'd much rather have a quiet moment to myself, enjoying a chicken sandwich under the shade of a maple tree. It's a small thing, but it's the peace I've been craving.

I let my gaze wander across the room, watching a group of friends laughing and sharing snacks. The warmth of their camaraderie makes me feel like an outsider today—disconnected, but not in a way that's uncomfortable, just... quiet.

And then, out of nowhere, I feel a crumpled piece of paper hit me squarely on the head. I blink, startled, before looking around to see who's the culprit.

"Cat?! Oh my God—I'm so sorry!" Kate's voice rang out as she hopped down from the tree, eyes wide with a mix of shock and apology.

I rubbed my head where the crumpled paper had landed and smirked. "I see, are you still upset with me?" I joked, watching as she scrambled to sit beside me, digging through her backpack as if the paper incident never happened.