Dear Estella,

47. arm's length

"Let me guess, you were planning on walking away and avoiding me until you decide it's a good time to talk about what just happened?" Asher asks once he catches up to me inside the museum.

I furrow my eyebrows. "What?"

He grabs onto my hand and stops me from walking any further. "I know you're freaking out. Your mind is going crazy cause you're regretting kissing me and you're asking yourself what the hell you just did. Am I close?"

Not close. He hit it right on the nail.

"I don't know," I mumble, looking down at his black Vans. My eyebrows furrow as I keep my eyes trained on his shoes. "Can we talk about this later? We need to get back to the rest of our class."

"Can you give me five minutes?"

"I don't have five minutes, we're already late."

"Four minutes."

I take a deep breath. "Two minutes."

"Fine. That's fine."

He leads me to a quieter area in the museum, where less of our peers are. I avoid eye contact with him, looking practically everywhere else in the place.

"I know that you don't wanna talk about it. I knew right away," he begins. "That's fine, Estella. Cause all I want is for you to listen. That's it."

I nod. "Okay."

He licks his lips. "I kissed you. And I know that I probably shouldn't have done it... but you kissed me back, 'Stella. And fuck, I felt something when you did. It's like everything I've felt for you from the day I met you just... it multiplied. And I think you felt it, too."

I take deep breath, chewing the inside of my cheek. Asher, at least from what I've seen, isn't one to express his emotions often. He keeps it all inside and only lets out small glimpses of what he's feeling.

"Every little thing you do, it all makes me fall for you a little harder," he continues. "The way you laugh at my stupid jokes even when they're not funny, the way you won't let me out of a parking lot without putting my seatbelt on first. When you asked me for ranch even though you can't stand it on pizza. The way you bop your head to songs you like. How you bite the inside of your cheek whenever you're nervous." He demonstrates the habit. "All of it. You drive me crazy in the best way, Estella. I've never, in my entire life, felt the way I do when I'm with you."

But here he is, explaining what he feels for me. He's pouring his heart out. And here I am, standing in front of him with a parted mouth and a blank mind.

"Asher..."

"Hold on." He holds a finger up. He takes a deep breath. "I like you, Estella. And I don't mean as just a friend. I've never liked you as just a friend. Not since the day I met you. If you haven't realized that by now..."

He trails off. His eyes stay locked on mine. My eyebrows slightly furrow at his words. I'm unable to respond, struggling to find the right words to say to him.

"You feel it, too, Estella?" He asks, his voice almost a whisper.

I know what he wants to hear.