Chapter 2: Between Truth and Heartbeats
I spent the whole day trying to connect the dots of who I really was.
Even when Mom and Dad came to check on me, I still felt… lost.
A gun? Seriously? I thought to myself.
What was so special about me being epileptic?
Why would anyone go after a sick, weak girl like me?
Mary interrupted my thoughts, holding a small gift box in her arms.
"Hey, sweetie… check this out," she said, placing it on the bed.
"What's that?" I asked.
She smiled. "Since you and my brother are going on a date, I thought of getting you a dress. Well… actually, I didn't buy it. He did."
I held the box, my cheeks warming as she blinked teasingly and walked out.
I rushed to the window.
He was outside, holding his skate, about to leave.
As if he felt me watching, he looked up.
I waved.
He smiled and waved back.
My heart fluttered as I watched him walk away.
I sat down and opened the gift box.
Inside was a shiny red dress… and wedges.
I quickly pushed them under the bed so Mom wouldn't see.
That night, I didn't sleep at all.
I stayed up doing research on him.
Luckily, I didn't find anything bad. No vices.
The more I looked, the more I got pulled in.
I was starting to fall for someone I didn't truly know.
Someone I trusted… without understanding who he really was.
At some point, sleep finally took over.
And as I drifted off, I hoped that one day, instead of his picture…
he would be right there beside me.
The next day felt endless.
Mom stayed around the whole time, watching me closely like she always did.
Finally, at 02:00, she and Dad left.
Mary rushed to me.
"I've organized everything. He'll be here in two minutes," she said anxiously.
"What about my little brother, Kevin?" I asked.
"He's having a sleepover at a friend's place," she replied.
Relief washed over me.
I quickly changed into the dress he bought me.
When I looked at myself in the mirror, I froze.
I looked stunning.
Beautiful in a way I had never seen before.
"If you need me, I'll be in the library…" Mary said, then paused.
"Don't do anything bad."
She gave me a look before walking away.
Then—the doorbell rang.
My heart skipped.
I walked to the door and opened it.
There he was.
For a moment, I just stared at him… like it was the first time we had ever met.
"Hi," he said.
"Hey," I replied softly, stepping aside to let him in.
I guided him to a seat.
For a few seconds, we just looked at each other in silence.
Then he spoke.
"Don't you ever get bored… staying here alone?"
"Umm…" I stood up slowly. "I do get bored."
I walked around the house, my fingers brushing lightly against the walls, as if I could feel the boredom trapped inside them.
He stood up too.
"Do you mind showing me around?" he asked.
"No… I really don't."
We walked through the house, talking and laughing.
Everything felt easy. Natural.
Then suddenly—
My foot slipped on the polished floor.
I gasped.
Before I could fall, he caught me in his strong arms.
It felt like even the wind had been listening to us…
because everything went quiet.
My eyes locked with his, and my heart began to dance—softly, wildly—drawn to his.
For a moment… everything stopped.
He held me firmly, steadying me as I caught my balance.
Neither of us moved.
The world around us seemed to fade—no voices, no footsteps, just silence wrapped around us like a secret.
I slowly realized how close we were.
My breath hitched, and my heartbeat filled my chest.
His eyes stayed on mine, calm but searching… like he was trying to understand something about me he couldn't say out loud.
He gently helped me stand properly, but even after letting go, the space between us still felt warm… charged.
"Are you okay?" he asked softly.
"Y-yeah…" I replied, my voice barely steady.
I looked away for a moment, trying to calm my thoughts, but it didn't help.
Because something had shifted.
Something I couldn't explain.
When I looked back at him again…
I knew he felt it too.we held hands looking into each other's eyes