Like A Love Story

It's already been two years since I first met her.

I never expected myself to become so... attached to her.

Maybe to some, two years is a long time, but seeing what had happened in those years... well it all happened in a blink of an eye.

She dated two guys in one year. I can't really say I was jealous of them, I just knew it wouldn't last with either of them. Cruel thing to say, I know. If there was ever something to be jealous about, it was how she would put all her attention on the guy she dated or smile, that special little smile that was meant for him and no one else.

I still remembered the facial expression she made when I teased her on her growing love for Yuki. She kept denying it, saying that she merely found him interesting enough to use for a story. I was probably the only one who saw through her lie. Everyone else believed that she was just blushing out of embarrassment, but it wasn't -well not entirely-.

Her feelings grew for him, but they were all burned away after what happened later on...

When we first met, I felt something stir within me. Being a romance novelist, it didn't take me long to understand what was happening.

I was starting to fall in love.

I knew though, that when Yuki had his eye on someone, he wouldn't give up. Even though I knew what was going to happen, I tried my best to not worry her. Seeing her shoulders droop in a slow manner, refusing to make eye contact with anyone and seeing her frown... it broke my heart.

I told myself that, no matter what, I'd always be there for her.

I thought the feelings I first had were purely "puppy love". I contented myself by being with her during the times we'd go to the library or just write stuff together.

Suddenly, things started progressing so quickly that by the time I understood what was happening, it was too late to back down.

I was utterly and hopelessly in love with her.

I wanted to tell her, but at the same time, I didn't want anyone to see that I had developed feelings for her that were beyond friendship.

I never managed to find the perfect time to tell her... until now.


"Hey Noah, I got your text."

I couldn't even see her, since I was mindlessly looking at some books, but just her melodious voice seemed to burn my insides, leaving sparks throughout my body.

I chose two random books, handing one to her.

She looked at me confused, one of her cutest expressions, "Uhmmmm?"

"Can you quickly skim through it and tell me if it seems interesting or not?" I asked quietly, covering my cherry colored face with the book I held.

"Jeez Noah, if I knew you asked me here to read some book, I probably wouldn't have come," she muttered, yet did what I asked.

I grinned; she makes things too easy, "what did you think we were going to do in a library Emina?"

She faltered, bringing the book a bit closer to her face, before she whispered bitterly, "W-Whatever!"

I chuckled. This time I won this match.

As she got immersed into the literature world, my eyes discretely watched her.

To everyone else, she was a plain girl. She was just a plain girl with red hair and dark blue eyes. To me, she was everything. It's not even funny how deeply I have fallen in love with her. Her fiery red hair, her curious-filled dark blue eyes, her beautiful enchanting voice, her cute expressions, her unique personality... there isn't one thing I didn't love about her.

Suddenly, I felt my heartbeat increase, as if it was ready to pop, while my palms were turning sweatier after each passing second.

It was now or never.

"Actually Emina, I wanted to tell you... I'm in love with you."

Quickly, before she could react, I managed to gently lower the book that was hiding her face and plant a soft but chaste kiss on her lips.

Pulling myself away from her, the noise of a book falling on the ground did not surprise me as I came face to face with wide blue eyes.

"N-Noah?" she stuttered out, her face completely colored red.

Seeing her face, her eyes still wide as saucers, and her red lips trembling a bit, I couldn't help but feel a bit bad about what I did.

"I'm sorry Emina that was reckless of me. It's just that... I really wanted to know how it felt, to kiss you."

I lowered my head, in shame, as I heard the rustling of footsteps.

Agh... I really screwed it up. I should have known though, someone like her wouldn't want me.

After all the guys she's dated, I'm clearly not her type.

If there was just one thing that I could wish for at this moment, it's that our friendship isn't completely ruined. I don't think I could live with the fact that I ruined what we had. I just hope she doesn't start treating me differently, pretend that I no longer exist or even worse... hate me.

This is the first time in a long while that I actually felt like crying.

Ugh... I'm horrible, just... horrible...

"Noah!"

Suddenly, two hands delicately lifted up my face, brushing away my hair so our eyes would make contact. I knew that my cheeks were red, because I can feel my whole body erupt in warmth at her touch.

Damn it, now I'm thinking like a girl, because of one that is right in front of me.

Exactly, how long has she been standing there, just a few inches away from me? I thought she had walked away, but instead she came closer to me. She looked at me worriedly, her lips pouting a little -she really is cute-.

Did that mean she was willing to give me a chance?

Or... was she going to reject me from a closer distance?

"Noah! Damn it, pay attention!"

I looked at her quizzically; afraid to hear how I'd sound like if I actually talked at the moment.

She sighed, realizing I wasn't going to talk, before she gently hugged me. I let a breath of air escape my lips in shock.

She wasn't the type to easily hug people, though there were some exceptions. Also... it felt different. Her act of affection, it felt like there was something she wanted to say, but she was afraid to say it. I could feel her tremble a bit, while she hugged me, breathing somewhat heavily onto my ear without realizing. Slowly, I returned the action, enjoying the feel of her body close to mines, as I patted her back in a friendly like manner.

"Noah..." she whispered quietly.

I stopped patting her back, instead lightly rubbing her back in a circular motion in an attempt to calm her, "...yes?"

She took a deep breath, "D-Do you mean it?"

"Mean what?"

"...That you love me."

I stopped, completely frozen in my tracks. Did she want me to confess to her again? Or did she want me to deny it so we could both forget it?

What I choose right now... could or would forever change the relationship I have with Emina.

I pulled away from her grasp, but we stared at each other with serious faces. Not one letting go, all we did was stare in silence as the sound of pages being turned were heard at a far distance.

I suddenly remembered that we were having this moment in a library.

I think it's obvious what I should do... I mean to deny it after everything that just transpired would be even more stupid than my hasty kiss.

I took a deep breath, like she did previously, before saying the words that could forever change a part of my life, "Emina, ever since we met, I have fallen in love with you and I don't think I can deny my feelings any longer."

She smiled, and reached to cup my cheek lovingly, "I'm in love with you too."

I gaped at her, almost letting go of her from the news, as she silently laughed and continued, "I've been secretly crushing on you for a while, but I wasn't sure if you'd like me back... but well since you just confessed... well I thought I should be honest about my feelings as well."

I held her waist more firmly, bringing our bodies close again as I sighed, "So you're saying that if we were honest from the start, we probably would have gone out a long time ago?"

She wrapped her arms around my neck as she grinned, "Probably."

"Wait, so that means you'll go out with me right?"

She rolled her eyes, and I could tell she wanted to playfully slap me if it weren't for the fact that her hands were distracting themselves with my hair, "Even better, if you kiss me right now I'll be your girlfriend."

I held her waist more tightly than before, as I smirked, "You're right, that is even better."

Gradually, we both leaned towards each other, closing our eyes the moment our lips touched. The very feel of it sent sparks throughout me and I knew Emina felt the same as she tried to bring me even closer towards her as humanly possible. Frankly speaking, I wanted to be just as close to her as she wanted. I felt like... this kiss was worth everything that I've went through, waiting for her. The moment, just felt so perfect. Her, secured protectively in my arms, as she lovingly played with my hair -not like I wasn't doing the same-, as we kissing in the library. The feel of her soft lips on mine, how her lips tasted of chocolate chip cookies and how I just knew that what we had right now was something special and these feelings won't be forgotten.

I'd treasure every single moment I'd have with her right now.

As we pulled away, needing air in our systems again, I felt her whimper a bit as we separated. Our foreheads touched as we smiled at each other, panting heavily while our hands tightly held the other.

"Emina..."

"...Hmm?"

I cupped her cheek with my free hand before smirking, "Do you easily get flushed when you're smothered with affection?"

On cue, her cheeks turned even redder than before, as she stuttered out, "N-No!"

I chuckled as I kissed her red cheeks and replied semi-seriously, semi-teasingly, "That's good then, because I'll definitely smother you with my love."

She looked away, before answering "Yeah right..."

"As a fellow romance novelist, you love romantic gestures right?"

She didn't answer for a moment, taking a moment to stare at me seriously, before blushing once again and whispering so lowly that I almost didn't hear, "Well as a fellow romance novelist, kiss me like in your love stories."

I didn't answer, instead I leaned in to kiss her again.

As we pulled away, I lifted her chin so we could gaze at each other before we both smiled, "Trust me Emina, a kiss like this... is much better than both our written love stories."

With that, we exited the library, hand in hand, ready for our own love story to begin.