Hate To Date You ➤ Jake

|| I'm here

My chest tightened. I wanted to say something, anything, but no words would come out. What was I supposed to say to this? I had been hiding from my own feelings for so long, burying them under layers of deflection and denial. And now, here he was, laying everything on the line for me.

I swallowed, trying to push down the sudden rush of emotions. "Jake... don't say that. It's not like you even know what you want."

He stepped closer, his face softening. "I do know what I want, Sooah. I want you. I've always wanted you. I just didn't know how to tell you."

For a moment, the world seemed to stop. It felt like it was just the two of us standing there, the sunset painting the sky in shades of pink and orange. I could feel the weight of his words sinking in, but part of me still wanted to run. I didn't want to feel this way. I didn't want to admit that the walls I had built up around my heart were crumbling.

Jake reached for me, his hand hovering just inches from my arm. "Please, just—" he hesitated, his voice barely a whisper, "—don't push me away."

I could feel my breath catch in my throat. My mind screamed for me to hold back, to protect myself. But my heart... my heart was already long gone.

I closed the space between us, looking up at him. "I'm not pushing you away, Jake," I whispered. "I just... I've been scared."

His eyes softened even more, and for a moment, I thought he might say something more, but instead, he simply nodded, his thumb brushing over my cheek. His gaze flickered from my eyes to my lips and back again.

"I'm not going anywhere, Sooah," he said softly. "I'm not going to push you either. But just know, I'm here. For you."

The winter night was crisp, the air thick. We were still standing by the edge of the dimly lit path, the only sounds between us the soft rustling of trees swaying in the cold breeze and the distant hum of the remaining festival-goers. My heart, though, was anything but quiet. It was racing, thundering in my chest like a drumbeat that wouldn't slow down.

Jake's hand, still holding mine, felt like the only anchor in a world that suddenly seemed too big. Too overwhelming. His thumb traced gentle patterns over my palm, a simple, calming gesture, but the warmth from his touch spread all the way to my chest, making my heart ache in a way I hadn't expected.

His eyes never left mine. He was waiting. Patient, but expectant. Like he knew something I didn't, like he already had all the pieces to the puzzle, but still, he waited for me to figure it out.

"Sooah..." His voice was soft now, no longer teasing, but warm—almost tender, and that was enough to make my heart jump. I took a steadying breath, trying to push the butterflies down, but they just kept fluttering. It was almost funny how his presence could do that to me—how he could make everything feel so real, so alive.

"I—" I started, my voice shaky, unsure of how to put it all into words. The hesitation that had once been the wall between us was crumbling, piece by piece. There was no denying it anymore. The feelings were there. They had been for a while. I just hadn't been ready to admit it.

His fingers tightened around mine, pulling me just a little closer, as if urging me to speak.

And in that moment, I realized something. I didn't need to be afraid anymore. Not of what I was feeling, not of what could happen next. All of those doubts and fears about him—about us—vanished.

I could feel his eyes on me.

The night air was crisp, and the only sound between us was the faint hum of cicadas in the distance. We stood on my front porch, lingering, even though we both knew we should say goodnight.