Now
Seth could count the moments, that he almost believed in love, on his hand.
The first time was during the history excursion. When he and Nina stood side-by-side, and gazed at the artworks, feeling the force of the art flowing over them. The passion.
And Nina’s words. She’d always had the best way with words.
The second time, was when Seth and Nina watched When Harry Met Sally together, and he realised that he had fallen, truly, in love with her.
The third time was the only time it involved his parents. He was only seven years old, and he’d caught them swaying to some jazzy music in the kitchen, with only the light from the stove illuminating the darkness. He’d woken up at 12am from a nightmare, and saw them locked in that intimate embrace.
Seth didn’t believe much in love, but he’d believed it those three times.
Two out of three held one common factor.
She stood in front of him now.
It’d been less than a day since their kiss, but it felt like the hours had stretched into years.
After the kiss, Nina’s Dad had arrived.
“Sorry, I have to go,” she’d whispered, pulling away quickly from his embrace the moment she saw her Dad’s car.
The absence of him was like an ice shard against his ribs.
Later on, he texted her, asking what her plans for that night were. He wanted to see her, to go to her house and ask her what it all meant.
To tell her that for him, it meant everything. It wasn’t just temporary, not with her.
Instead, Nina excused herself to be with her family.
Which was the first sign, the first shift. They always had conversations into the night, even when she was with her family.
The next morning, Seth texted her instantly, after barely any sleep was had.
Seth:Let’s properly talk about what happened. Meet me today, at the park bench? Around midday?
He’d gotten there, half-an-hour before the clock struck 12. He’d paced the entire field, watching as dogs bounded happily, and kids played with their friends.
The sun was shining brightly, the sky empty of clouds. Seth took this as a sign that everything was going to be okay.
It has to be.
That was, until he saw her approaching.
Her hands were bunched.
She was glancing down, and everything about her body language wasn’t right.
“Nina,” he said, his voice captured by the wind.
She still wasn’t looking at him.
This wasn’t how it was meant to go.
Seth reached forward, but pulled backward once he noticed that she wasn’t reciprocating.
Suddenly, a wave of cold doused over him. A fear that she hadn’t wanted the kiss, not at all. That he overstepped things.
