I Did Not Want To Fall For You

Chapter 51: The End

She interrupted curtly, "You can just stay away like you did before."
She noticed the hurt that flashed through his eyes.
"Kamsi, I was scared," He said, holding her gaze, "I was confused. I didn't want to get heartbroken. I was scared you were going to break me so I did what I thought was best, self preservation and I thought I was fine, that it was working out but I missed you, I missed what we had together, however undefined it might have been. I wanted to return, especially when you acted nonchalant about Danielle's peck but then... pride. I didn't know how to come back and admit my fault. I am sorry."
She looked away. Wasn't this what she wanted? To have him back?
"Kamsi, I want to fix us," He said softly and her head whipped in his direction.
"Us?" She croaked out.
"Yes, Kamsi, us," He answered, a smile breaking out on his face, "No matter how much you deny it, there was an us, still an us."
"You stayed away for three weeks," She accused, "Four, if you count the holiday."
"I am sorry."
"You were fine without me, you were normal without me."
"I missed you, I wanted you back everyday. I was fine on the outside but I had to fight my emotions everyday, everytime I saw you..."
"You did well."
"You did well too."
She looked away. He took her hand in his.
"Kamsi, you are strong, I am strong but we are stronger," He said, "I have realized that I can't choose, I can't protect myself from my heart, from... from this. I can only jump right in with everything in me and... and I want to, Kamsi, I want to. You are worth it."
She shut her eyes.
"I don't know," She mumbled, "I..."
"Do you like me?" He interrupted and her eyes flew open, "Do you feel anything for me more than friendship? Say it to me."
She blinked, caught off guard. "I... I..."
"Do you?" He prodded calmly.
She opened her mouth and shut it. This was a moment of weakness, of vulnerability, she wasn't sure she wanted to open herself.
"Yes," She blurted out quietly, her eyes cast down, "I do."
His grip tightened on her hand. "Then what do you want?" She could sense the smile in his words.
"I don't know," She sighed, looking up at him, "This is new to me also and unexpected and I really did not want to indulge in this yet. I don't want to hurt you or anything..."
"But do you like it?" He cut her off again.
"Huh?" She blinked.
"Do you like this?"
She looked down at their hands. She liked it, perhaps too much and she wanted it but there was so much to consider, so much to think about...
"I do," She breathed out, tearing up, "I like you."
He grabbed her other hand, nudging her till she looked up at him, her bones stiff and her heart in a mess.
"Then we'll take it slowly. Stay friends... with whatever feelings we have, make the foundation strong..."
He talked slowly, quietly, not looking away from her.
"... I am not letting go of you, Kamsi, and wherever this takes us, we'll see. These three months we have left to stay in this school, this time we still have to be together before we go our separate ways, I want to spend them with you by my side, with you to love... and when these three months are over, we'll stay in touch. We'll make this work no matter what."
She smiled, blinking back tears. He smiled too.
"My family wants to meet you again," He told her, releasing a hand to wipe her tears, "You are stuck with us on visiting days and after school is done, I'll make sure one of us visits the other. Ikorodu is not too far from Gbagada."
She laughed heartily then froze when he abruptly pecked her cheek. She stared at him, eyes wide, cheeks flaming hot.
He smirked. "You did me bad, Kamsi, you took me by storm and I am not going to let you throw me away. I'll make you bend, I'll make you fall, I'll make you mine."