Hopelessly In Love

Chapter 1 -- When the Love was

CHAPTER 1 --- When the Love was

9 YEARS AGO...

ENTHUSIASM OF LOVE spread all over New York City on Valentine's Day. A thin, soft coat of snow covered the roads. I stepped on them with Elijah Gargakos, his gloved hand clutching mine, and stared at the other couples around Central Park while listening to him humming a sweet love song.  So far, today have been the most romantic moment of my life.

This afternoon right afterschool, I was surprised to see Elijah standing in front of my high school, with the other graduated seniors, playing guitar, which he had borrowed from Mr. M, the music teacher, with a rectangular pink box at his feet. There were some teachers, students and even security guards that recognized him from last year stopped to see the commotion. We've been a couple since I was a junior and he was a senior. When the rumors of us dating spread around the school, they started calling us Mr. and Mrs. Gargakos. He wore a pink button down shirt with white pattern anchors, white jeans with a red coat. It was a breakthrough since he usually only wore t-shirt and sweatpants.

My jaw dropped, we were supposed to meet at our favorite bakery but then he showed up singing "Love You Like A Love Song" by Selena Gomez. I couldn't believe that it was actually happening. It made something deep within my chest tingles to have someone planned such thing for me. My friends kept nudging my shoulder and 'ooh'-ing me. I swallowed and walked up to him, clueless as how to respond to his surprise. I was madly blushing, not from the cold. It was so corny but deep inside, I kinda liked it.

Inside the box was the same outfit he was wearing but in my size. He knew how much I wanted to see him wearing other clothes besides sweatpants and a shirt, not that I mind them because the truth is he looked hot either way. Right after he ended the song, he didn't leave anytime and gave me a peck on the lips. "Will you be my valentine?" He asked, looking down into my dark brown eyes. "Not that you have a choice, since I'm your boyfriend." He smirked.

I chuckled at his remarks, "Well then, no time for answers. Let's go, Mr. Gargakos." I placed my arm around his and both of us escape the rest of the world to the one where there's only us.

As we strided around the park,  when a man with a camera, similar curly, brown hair as Elijah but his was tucked under a cap came to us. "Excuse me, I'm Brandon, creator of Humans of New York, do you guys mind If I take pictures of both of you? And maybe ask a couple of questions?"

Oh my gosh! "Wow! I love your pictures." I recognized him. He posted photos of 'Humans of New York', collected each of their stories, made a book out of it and even travelled to other coutries to captured their stories for many people to see. He's an amazing photographer.

"Thanks. Is that a yes?" He asked with a smile.

Elijah smiled back, "Ya sure, no problem."

"Okay, just try to look natural. I saw you guys walked together and both of you just stood out. How long have you been together?" He asked while taking a couple of pictures,

Elijah placed his arms around my shoulder, I stared at his face smiling. He's just too affectionate. "About one and a half years. I met her when she was monitoring at the school's library. She was a sophomore and I was a junior. One day, the librarians were absent and left her with a subtitute that know nothing about the library. She was really serious about the job and when I saw a kid trying to start trouble, I told her about it. She went right to him and told him nicely that he should stop or else she would get in trouble with the Dean. The kid wouldn't listen so I made him leave the library.

The next school year, I started seeing her in the hallways and lunch period when I line up for lunch. I would make eye contacts with her as we passed by each other for a couple of months. After talking to myself in the mirror, I decided to grow some and asked her out. She was surprised but eventually said yes and we've been together ever since."

"What do you most like about her?"

Elijah smiled shyly. placed his hand on top of my head and rubbed my hair to a mess like he usually does, "She wakes up everyday with the quote 'positive thinking only'. She smiles and laughs a lot which makes my day. She has passion to achieving her goals. My favorite one of her goals is that she wanted to adopt a dog. She planned her life revolving that idea."

"What do you like about him?" He turned to ask me.

"Ya, what DO you like about me?" Elijah crossed his arms on his chest.

Crap! It's too much to say. I love everything about him. His curly brown hair. Lips. Sweet talk. HIs voice. His bright smile. "Hmm... Let me think." I put my finger on my chin, "I mean besides the fact that you're obsessed with t-shirts and sweatpants. You're the most corniest person in the planet." I looked away from his brown eyes to the camera, "Just everything."

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I was playing the piano while eating an apple when the bell rang. I opened the door and saw Elijah's drenched from the rain. This wasn't the first time he came to my house, but he never came this late. There was something off about him. His eyes didn't have the same glint like he always had.

"Elijah! What are you doing in the rain? You're going to get sick." I let him in and went to grabbed a towel but his wet hand stopped me by the wrist. It was icy cold. Not the warm hand that I knew. Not the one that always held my hands whenever it gets cold. Not the warm hand that loved to caressed the outline of my face.

He avoided my eyes, lips shivering from the cold, "Lyna...I'm sorry. If only I had a choice."

I frowned my eyebrows in confusion, "What are you talking about? Elijah, you're going to get sick. Stop this." I tried to let go of his hold on me. He's going to catch a flu. It looks like he's been in the rain for hours.

Not letting go of his hold, he pulled my wrist and captured me in his arms. He leaned his forehead against mine, water dripping from his damp hair to mine and slides down my face. "I love you. I'm so so sorry. We can't do this anymore, Lyna." His eyes began to watered and sensing what he's about to say, my own eyes starts to teared up.

"What do you mean? Elijah, we're fine. Stop saying such things." I dropped my apple and placed my palms on his cold cheeks, transfering the heat. He was too cold. He's probably hallucinating from the cold.

"I have to go Lyna. I have to leave you. When they-- I can't be with you anymore." He said, staring right at me. He didn't mean it. Why is he doing this to me?!! What did I do wrong?

"You don't mean that." Letting go of my palms, but he held it in place. "You don't mean that." I shaked my head, not believing a word he's saying.

"Are you drunk? Did someone hit you in the head or something? You're not on drug are you?" I knew he was sober. I asked him because they're still the 0.001% chance that it can be true and that somehow he really was drunk.

"Look at me, Lyna. I still love you and will always love you but I have to go. I'm sorry." He grabbed my chin softly and kissed me. It was a slow, meaningful kiss. It was a goodbye kiss.