And yet, these feelings are beyond just a simple crush.
With every passing second I spend with Marlon, with every moment that he’s in my orbit, it’ll continue to grow stronger, until it consumes me.
So maybe telling Ria wouldn’t be so bad.
“I - uh -” I start, because how do I tell my sister she’s been right all along, and that something has begun to happen between Marlon and I?
Ria watches me, expectantly. I chew the inside of my mouth. Why was this hard?
“You have feelings for him, don’t you?” Ria beats me to it.
My jaw unhinges, mouth open in shock. Then, a gargled sound caught between a laugh and a choke bypasses my lips.
“Pfft, what do you - I mean as if…?”
She gives me anare you seriousglare. I throw my hands up in surrender.
“Okay, yeah,maybeI have a crush on him…”
My tongue tingles as the words leave my mouth.
Ria rolls her eyes.
“God, that took you long enough. Seriously. I picked this up from the moment you both started having your sneaky little watch parties late at night.”
She says it like it’s a scandalous act, and I flick her arm. It doesn’t deter her ramble though, and she continues, “It’s been very obvious. You both have some serious chemistry, even way before this whole act of yours started.”
“I hated him before though, it’s not like it was always there.”
Ria halts at some shelves filled with chips she likes. She grabs one.
“Um, nuh-duhit was always there. You both were always butting heads, sure, but you didn’t realise you both had a lot in common. Trust me, I’mveryobservant.”
If anyone knew it before even I did, of course it’d be Ria.
“But what do I do now?” I ask, with a sigh. We turn a corner, heading into the aisle full of lollies. I pick up some sour strips, glancing at Ria sombrely.
“Girl, heliterallylikes you!” Ria exclaims.
After Rafayel, I didn’t want to make assumptions anymore. I didn’t want to theorise, to overthink. I need to view situations head on, to accept them for what they are at the surface level, to not weave stories to fill the gap. Though, was that what I was doing? Weaving the gap with Marlon?
Yesterday had shifted us entirely. We’d leapt from what felt somewhat platonic, onto the line that tip-toed on something more. He nearly kissed me yesterday. We’d slow danced.
If that weren’t a romance scene written in itself…
I shake my head, tying the anchor back around my mind. I couldn’t cycle back to how I’d been before, romanticising moments. And beyond that, facing this is much more frightening.
If I’m right, would Marlon and I make a good match?
I like him a lot, but what if it changes us?
I enjoy him as he is now, and I enjoy where we are at.
Did I want to ruin that all for a chance at a potential happily-ever-after?
“I can’t ride onmaybeshere, Ria,” I sigh, “And besides, there’s also the situation with Christine. I may have left Rafayel behind, but he also agreed to this ruse so he could get further with Christine.”
Ria halts, placing her hand atop her hip.
