Love is Beautiful (She's so Ugly)

Chapter Thirty Two

When she returned to the function hall, the students were already dancing. The first one she looked for was Jacob, even though it should've been Leo. She searched the room and when she saw him she was about to go when Leo blocked the way.

"L-Leo," she flashed a sad smile.

"Do you mind if I ask you for a dance?" His smile was different, Merida thought but disregarded it. Merida took his hand and they walked to the centre to blend in with the others.

They slow danced, almost hugging and swaying just so timid. Leo could see Merida looking and searching for Jacob and he smiled.

"Looking for someone?" Leo asked her. That caught her attention and raised a brow at him.

"Pfft! No, I am not! I just feel nervous if I look at you," she answers. Leo then turned her around.

"The gown looks perfect on you." He didn't just notice it right now. Since earlier, he has been holding his words back. He doesn't want to make more mistakes.

"Thank you. I thought about you when I was choosing this. I know you love the night sky," she let him know.

That made Leo pull her for a hug; he wants to feel her one last time. "Thank you for thinking about me."

"If I could I really would stay in your eyes," she whispered. "It's the closest to heaven."

It took a few moments for Leo to get a grip of himself and stopped hugging her. "But these eyes don't make you feel beautiful the way his eyes can," he said, smiling at her. "Fight the hate and give him a chance."

Merida frowned at what she heard. "You do make me feel beautiful. I don't understand why you're pushing me away."

Leo touched her face and grins at her. His eyes full of sadness but disguised with brighten smiles. "It won't be a mistake this time. Remember when I told you there are lucky ones? Those lucky ones were saved from a lot of heartbreaks but it doesn't mean they didn't feel pain."

Fear crossed her Face. Her eyes were glossy with tears. "But Leo I—

"Trust me," he told her.

"No! I don't want to lose you!" She yells staring at his eyes. "You're so good to me; I don't want to hurt you."

Sorrows clouded Leo's face but it was only for a moment. "It will only hurt me more if you're not true to yourself." Then he flatteringly smiled. "I'm into you and I hope I made it obvious... Live the rest of your life without fear. Please, live for me."

Merida sniffed as her visions blurry with tears. Leo wipes it for the last time. "I'm glad I get to be your first dance. And I'm sorry if I can't open up myself to you." He kissed her forehead and stopped slow dancing. "Invite him to your last dance. Love again like you haven't loved before."

Merida looked at where Leo was looking and she saw Jacob looking at her. She looks at Leo with that smile on his face. She was hesitating because she feels something for Leo but then, she loves Jacob.

 "Thank you," she told him and started to walk towards Jacob.

Leo stared at Merida walking away from him. A tear had fallen on his cheek and he wiped it. I wish you happiness, he thought and left with a painful smile.

Yuri rushes outside when she was done staring with tearful eyes at the scene she just witnessed. She never once saw Leo cry until now. At the parking lot, she saw him walking towards his car.

"Leo, wait!" She yelled and when he stopped. She walks towards him.

"What do you want?" He questioned, raising a brow.

"You love her! Why walk away?" She asked.

Leo turned to see his cousin and then smirked his pain away. "You can't force someone to love you. You have to let them choose who they want to be with and she wasn't mine to begin with."

"But what about your choice? If love is choosing then you have choices too! She could've learned to love you!"

Leo sighed and looked up at the sky. "Yes, loving might be choosing but what's love if she chose me and think of someone else? Do you think it's still love?" He showed Yuri his signature smile, putting his hands inside his pockets. He said, "He has got other plans for me. I'll see you when I see you, Yuri."

***

With Merida's heart pounding inside her chest, she couldn't think straight for feeling so bittersweet. It saddens her to know that she's hurting Leo but then... she doesn't want to lie to herself. Love should have no regrets and she won't regret Jacob.

Jacob was shocked that Merida came walking towards him. He cleared his throat once she was in front of him.

"D-do you want to dance?" She shyly asked him.

Jacob softly chuckled, seeing her cheeks turned pink and was looking away. "You know, I'd always want to."

They walk their way to the centre and danced. Merida didn't want to look at Jacob. She was too shy to look at him.

"You know, I still love you so much, Love," he said, breaking the awkward silence between them.

"I feel the same," she mumbled.

Jacob was so happy to hear that but he remained cool. "I want us to start again, Love. I want to court you and take it slow so we'll last longer to forever. I will love you better every day. I'll wait for you and only you, no matter what."

This was the eyes that Merida wanted to be drowning into. The eyes of the man she loved and still loves. She hugged him tightly, feeling his heart beating loud like hers.

"We hurt each other Jacob. And I love your idea. We can never forget the past but we can forgive and move on from it." She stated.

"I love you, Love," Jacob said, hugging her tighter.

She snuggled in his chest. "I love you too, Jacob."

Jacob never felt this happiness for a long time before. He's thankful that Leo was his rival. He smiled and kissed the top of Merida's head. I'm going to take care of you as I promised him, Jacob told himself.

That night Merida has finally accepted herself. The last year of high school had taught her so much. She fell in love, fall out of love, found friends, makeup with her enemies and now she's dancing with the man she's sure she was going to marry someday. Even though she wasn't certain of what tomorrow would be, she was still going to make something out of every today.