Pieces of Love

Chapter 26

My jaw dropped and my heart was beating faster than ever, faster than my first violin competition, or waiting for my application to Clifford. A temporary fog had settled in my mind, preventing me from making any comment. It was only now that I finally experienced the feeling of being speechless.

"Em?" Jacob's face came into view and I had never seen him look more worried than now. He bit his lip anxiously and if my heart was beating at such a fast rate, then what was his? A surge of sympathy went through me, as he looked so vulnerable.

"Why?" my voice was a mere whisper, shaky from the confession. In fact, my whole body was shaking.

"You're talented, smart, kind, and so much more. I hope you realise that," Jacob's voice was determined, but the compliments he gave triggered something inside of me.

It brought me back two years ago, when I was just thirteen, possibly receiving one of the best news of my life. But no more than a week later, that piece of news went back to slap me in the face, making me more broken than I should.

"I'm...I'm so sorry, but I...I have to go," I said in a rush, tumbling over my own words. Standing up, I was surprised at how shaky my knees were.

"Don't..." Jacob's weak voice had me halting in my tracks. Turning back to look at him, he seemed so defeated that my heart almost broke into a million pieces. "Did I say anything wrong?"

"Friends can't like each other like that. It's...it's just wrong," my voice broke at the end, before fleeing to the parking lot, pulling out my phone along the way to call my dad to pick me home.

Ten minutes later, the familiar white car pulled up beside me and I quickly slid into the passenger seat, clicking the seatbelt on and waiting for my dad to start driving.

"Are you alright?" my dad asked with concern. I blew out a breath. My hands were still shaking. I didn't know that Jacob had such a powerful impact on me. "I just feel really tired," I finally said, but my mind said otherwise.

The short drive back home was nothing short of torture. Empty silence filled the car save for the gentle crooning of the singer's voice coming from the radio. The songs played were not making things any better, since it was a Valentine's Day special.

Wherever you go

Whatever you do

I will be right here waiting for you

Whatever it takes

Or how my heart breaks

I will be right here waiting for you

Richard Marx's Right Here Waiting nearly had me in tears, considering that it was so close to the situation that Jacob and I were now in. Taking it no longer, I turned off the radio and leaned my head against the cool glass window. Jacob and I just made up to each other, and now, a few days later, we were back to square one. My heart dropped at the thought of never being able to speak to him again.

But it was necessary, I tried to console myself. I didn't want a repeat of two years ago, don't I? I brushed a few stray strands of hair out of my eyes. How the heck did things between me and him get so complicated?

My heart was a mix of emotions. Yet there was one small feeling that had me confused.

Why do I feel happiness?