I must be falling in love

Julie's heart stops beating for a second as Steven's voice echoes into her ear. She did not know what to think or what to do. Everything happens so fast. One minute Steven's mom and her parents are arguing, and the next Steven announces his affections for her. The most unfavorable part of the moment was that everyone was waiting for her to respond.

'How can I reply to such a huge confession if I have not even caught my breath over the fact that he uses the word "Love" and not "like" to express his feelings for me?' Julie thought to herself.

"Julie, are you all right?" Rose said. She could tell that her son's confession overwhelmed Julie.

Julie stood stiffly like a statue and held back her breath. She thought it might decrease how fast her heartbeat was accelerating. Plus, everyone's eyes focusing on her with concern and curiosity did not help the discomfort she was undergoing.

Julie imagined she would have a panic attack in no time from all the emotion bursting through her nerve cord, but her sight rested on a pair of green eyes, and his soft pink lips curve into a smile, instantly Julie knew what she wanted, and that was him.

Julie took control of her emotions and found the courage to react. She approached Steven, held his hand, led him upstairs into her room, and slammed the door.

"Bang!" The sound vibrated throughout the house. Everyone that left in the shop appeared startled and curious about what had just occurred.

'I'm proud of you, brother.' Jackson thought as he grinned to himself. Jackson knew that this moment was crucial to Steven since he doesn't quickly move on from someone, even if they are noxious. Men don't share tears regularly, so when Steven broke down in tears at Jackson's home with his clothes drenched by the heavy rain pulling out that day, Jackson knew then that Chloe was too toxic for his buddy.

"Did my daughter just carry a boy in her room before my eyes?" Louis asked, still feeling mad at Steven, and depressed that his statement from earlier that morning had become a reality.

"News flash, honey. Your daughter is old enough to do that, so let's leave those adults alone to figure things out for themselves." Harriett replied.

She felt glad that Julie had found the strength to love again. Harriett did not believe Julie would ever completely recover from her fifteen-year-old wounds and fall in love again. But now she truly believes that love conquers all things, even the tragic moments in your life.

"Sooooo, this is your room?" Steven awkwardly asked. He knew it was a dumb question, but Julie had been sitting on the edge of her bed and gazing at him without saying a word.

"You can tell me the truth now! Nobody is here, except me and you. I am not fragile, so you don't need to lie to me. I will wait for you and your family to leave before making it clear to my parents to avoid any unnecessary arguments." Julie replied.

She did not believe Steven's words were truthful. How he expressed his love for her felt oddly similar to an incident that happened in her past. Plus, that prior moment left her with a lifetime of trauma. She did not wish to go through it for the second time.

"What are you talking about, Julie?" Steven asked with a smile. However, his smile faded when he saw that Julie was not kidding.

"Jul, you are not making sense right now. I told you 'I love you' and you want me to tell you the truth. What truth are you talking about?" Steven said. He stopped leaning on her door and enclosed her.

"Tell me, you don't love me and that everything you said outside there was to stop our parents from fighting!" Julie replied. She held back her tears since she didn't need Steven to know that she did not want to hear those words from him.

Steven saw through her lies. He could tell that the walls Julie built around her heart were collapsing, and she got afraid to be vulnerable with him beside her. He drew close to her until he could feel her warm puff across his skin every time she exhales.

"Jul, why will I say such words when it's not how I feel?" Steven softly replied as he gazed directly into her eyes and gently held her hands to prove that he was not deceiving her.

"What about Chloe?" Julie mumbles. His long lashes and the warmth from his touch distracted her, and she became defenseless against his charm.

"I swear to you, it is over between us," Steven replied. He took her right hand and pressed it toward the left side of his chest. "Do you feel it beating?" He asked, and Julie nodded her head. Steven smiled and made direct eye contact with her. "It's beating for you only, I promise." He replied.

Julie seems lost for words. She could feel his heart go, "ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum," and the sound made her feel calm inside. All her past hurt and fear seemed to disappear for a while, and it was only him there. Julie presses her hand a little harder on his breast and giggles as she stares into his green eyes. It seems like both of them never wanted this moment to end.

"Fine! You win." Julie said. She had lost control of every single one of her defenses, so she felt it was ineffective to pretend that she did not fancy being in a relationship with him.

"Does this mean we are together now?" Steven excitedly asked. He sensed this whole extra energy bursting into him, and it seemed unusual. It made him feel like a high school teenager who just got accepted by his crush.

"Yes. However, I want us to take things slow. I have trust issues, and until all my doubts are clear, we can only date each other." Julie nervously replied. She did not know if giving rules on the first day of being in a relationship was the right way to establish a bond, but this was how Julie felt, and she thought Steven needed to know.

"Sure thing! If you demand assurance, I will give you all the time you need to trust me." Steven happily replied.

Suddenly Steven pulled her into his arms and lost his balance. They both fall to the floor with Julie resting against his chest. She lifted her head, and their faces were so close that they inhaled each other's breath. Steven raised his head a bit, and it was the closest their bodies could get without their lips touching each other.

"What are you doing?" Julie whispered.

Steven could feel her gentle breath against his lips. He closed his eyes for a second and opened it, then went in for the kiss.

Julie squeezed her eyes shut. However, she later opened them when she felt his lips on her forehead instead of her mouth. He affectionately smiled, and she beamed back. Shortly after, Julie senses Steven's hands around her waist, as Julie lays her head on his chest with a yearning in her heart that time could cease permanently.

Twenty-five minutes later, Mrs. Harper came tapping on Julie's door. Steven heard the knock and stared at Julie, but she had fallen asleep on him. Steven admired her innocent napping face and made a cute smile.

He gently removed her from his chest and had her laying on his left arm. Steven then gradually pulled his hand from under her neck and allowed her head to rest on the floor. Afterward, he took her in his arms, carried her to her bed, laid her in it, and covered her.

Mrs. Harper opened the door when Julie did not answer after her third tap. She saw Steven at the side of the bed, and he put his finger to his lip, warning Mr. Harper not to make a sound. When Steven got done tucking Julie in, he and Harriett left the room and headed downstairs.

Steven later found out that Jackson and Jennie had apologized to Mr. and Mrs. Harper, and his mother informed him that she wanted to get back home. Mrs. Harper did not seem to like that Steven was now dating their daughter when he told them, but Harriett and the others appeared happy about the news. Later, Rose, Jackson, Jennie, and Steven said their goodbyes to Louis and Harriett, then they left the shop.

Steven, Jennie, and Jackson said their byes to Rose when her Uber picked her up. Steven then gave Jennie and her husband a hug before leaving them and heading towards his vehicle. He was about to open his car door when he received a text. Steven slid his phone open, and the name "Chloe" appeared on the screen. He looks into his v-mirror and gives a weak smile at his reflection before getting into his car and driving off.