If I Stayed | Christian Yu

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR - WE KISSED

Now it was morning. Her phone was buzzing. She could hear her mom downstairs. The world was spinning like nothing happened.

Except something happened.

She kissed Christian.
No... he kissed her.
And she let him.

Her stomach twisted.

She sat up slowly, head pounding. Grabbed her phone out of habit and saw the unread messages waiting:

Kaylani 💅🏽
Are you alive? You sounded off when you left... hungover or just in your feels? 😭

Mom
Don't forget your dress fitting at 3. And call me when you're up. Love you 💕

Fabian
Morning, baby. Hope you had fun last night. Can't wait to see you later ❤️

Her thumb hovered over Fabian's message. She didn't know what to say.

Did he deserve to know? Was there even anything to say?

She threw the phone onto the bed and dragged herself to the mirror across the room. Her hair was a mess. Lip gloss smudged. She looked like someone else. Someone she didn't recognize.

And that scared her more than anything.

Last night hadn't been planned. She didn't go to Christian's place looking for that.

She went because her mind wouldn't shut up. Because she needed something familiar. Because Christian had always been the one person who could calm her down.

But then he kissed her.

And she didn't pull away.

Aaliyah closed her eyes, trying to replay the moment without feeling it. But she did feel it. Every second of it. The way his hand curled around her waist. The way he whispered her name like it meant something.

It wasn't just a kiss.
It was a choice.

And now? She had seven days to pretend it never happened.

She opened her drawer and grabbed a hoodie- Christian's, actually, from back in the day. She kept it without meaning to. Threw it on and pulled the sleeves over her hands like that would make her feel safer.

It didn't.

Downstairs, her mom was calling her name.

"Aaliyah! You up?"

She cleared her throat. "Yeah! Coming."

She looked at herself one more time in the mirror. Forced a smile.

Let's go.
Bride mode.
Fake it till you make it.

~

The boutique was quiet. Warm light filtered in through sheer curtains, casting everything in that soft, dreamy glow. The kind that was supposed to make a moment like this feel magical.

Aaliyah felt like throwing up.

"Alright," the seamstress said with a smile, smoothing out the skirt of the gown, "just one more adjustment at the waist and we're all set. Take your time. I'll be right outside."

Aaliyah nodded, barely hearing her. Her hands were frozen at her sides.

She stood on the little platform in front of the mirror, dress zipped up, veil pinned just for show. It should've felt like the fairytale moment every girl dreams of.

Instead, it felt like standing on stage with no script.

"Girl," Kaylani said, plopping down onto the velvet bench with a paper cup of iced coffee, "I know I'm supposed to be hyping you up, but you look like you're gonna faint."