I love you

I walked into my room, the familiar space offering no solace, no escape from the storm raging within me. I called work, my voice raspy and choked with tears, claiming illness to explain my absence. My father was already out, leaving me alone with my thoughts, my regrets, my heartbreak.

I sank onto my bed, burying my face in the pillow, letting the tears flow freely. They streamed down my cheeks, a silent torrent of pain, each sob a testament to the shattered fragments of my hopes.

"I'm so stupid," I whispered, my voice muffled by the pillow. "How could I have thought he loved me? How could I have allowed him to do this to me?"

The thought of him, the way he had treated me, the way he had used me, made my stomach churn. I had been a fool, a naive girl who had fallen for his act, his carefully crafted facade of love. He had treated me like a joke, a pawn in his game, a stepping stone to something else.

"I'm a dummy," I cried, my voice breaking. "But I'm no joke."

The pain, a sharp, throbbing ache in my chest, felt like someone had ripped out a part of my soul. I cried for myself, for the girl I had been, for the dreams I had foolishly entrusted to him.

My pain wasn't just about the loss of my virginity, though the thought of that added a sharp sting to my anguish. It was about the loss of my trust, my self-worth, my belief in the possibility of genuine connection.

I had let him manipulate me, I had let him win, and the feeling of betrayal, of being a fool, was unbearable.

I reached for my phone, dialing Emily's number, hoping for a lifeline in this storm of emotions. But the call went straight to voicemail, the familiar tone of her greeting a painful reminder of her absence.

"I'm all alone," I whispered, my voice thick with despair.

I sank back into the pillow, the tears flowing freely, my heart aching with a loneliness that was almost as unbearable as the pain of betrayal.

The darkness of my room enveloped me, a comforting blanket of isolation. I slept for what felt like an eternity, lost in a dreamless haze of exhaustion and despair. I didn't even know when my dad came in, his presence barely registering through the fog of my misery.

A sharp rapping sound against my window jolted me awake. I sat up, my heart pounding, my body stiff from the long hours spent in slumber. I checked my phone, a sliver of hope flickering in my chest. No messages from Emily, her silence a painful confirmation of her absence. Another stone, heavier than the first, struck my window. Fear snaked its way through me. Who would be throwing stones at my window?

I stood up, my legs shaky, and slowly approached the window. I hesitated, my hand trembling as I reached for the latch. Then, with a burst of adrenaline, I flung open the window, my eyes searching the shadowy street below.

There he was, Chris, his face a mixture of concern and amusement.

I slammed the window shut, locking it with a resounding click. "I came to fix your WiFi, but your window was locked," he shouted, his voice carrying a hint of frustration.

"Why are you interested in your stupid WiFi," I said, my voice laced with anger. "Go away."

I just wanted to fix what I spoilt."

"Ohh really, you want to fix things," I said, my voice rising. "Can you fix things?" I glared at him, my anger building. "What do you really want from me? I thought you guys backed out after the sex part, or are you trying to make a video this time around?" I threw the WiFi router, still in its box, down at him. "That's it. Fix it. And get out of here."

I turned to close the window, my heart pounding, my anger simmering.

"I love you," he said, his voice a soft murmur.

My hand froze mid-air, the window halfway closed. The word, so unexpected, so powerful, sent a shockwave through me.

"Lier," I said, my voice a low growl.

He sighed, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "You know I'm sorry about this morning. I want to take you on a real date. A proper one."

"I'm not used to this feeling," he said, his voice barely a whisper. "I haven't been in love with anyone before."

"I know you're mad at me," he said, his voice earnest. "But if you'll consider a proper date, I will be the happiest man on earth. He said with an apologetic smile on his face.

This whole thing is new to me. I'm not used to feelings like this . I haven't loved anyone for real before. I got scared this morning and wanted to shake it off".

He said. his gaze searching my face, a desperate plea in his eyes. "I saw online that you have a girlfriend," I said, my voice tinged with a hint of disbelief.

He nodded, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "Yeah, it's just a fling. I don't love her.

He turned and walked away, leaving me standing by the window, my heart a tangled mess of emotions.

"Why'd you come up here?" I asked, stopping him from leaving. He turned, a grin splitting his face, and without a moment's hesitation, began climbing up my window. He was like a cat, agile and graceful, and before I knew it, he was perched on the window ledge, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

I ushered him to sit on my bed, my heart pounding a chaotic rhythm against my ribs. "You're not saying anything or acting surprised," I said, trying to sound cool, though a tremor of nervousness ran through my voice. I was expecting him to say something about my room, to comment on how different it was from his.

"Well, I've been here before, remember?" he said with a playful smirk, his eyes twinkling. "I broke your WiFi, remember?" He held up his hands in a gesture of mock surrender, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

"Oh," I replied, a surprised laugh escaping my lips. I couldn't help but feel a pang of amusement. I had been so caught up in my own emotions, I had forgotten he had been here before.

"So, that stuff you said down there," I said, my voice husky with a mix of anger and curiosity, "Say it again. The 'I love you' part." I stared into his eyes, trying to read his intentions, to see if his words were genuine.

He smiled, a slow, lazy smile that sent a shiver down my spine. "I love you," he said, his voice a low, husky murmur. "I fell for you. And now I'm crazy about you." He held my gaze, his eyes intense, his sincerity undeniable.

I felt a strange warmth blossom in my chest, a flicker of hope in the darkness of my despair.