It had been eating me alive for days.The way Peryn treated me—like I was more than just "another girl in class." Like I was someone he wanted to protect, someone he wanted to see happy.
And somewhere between his half-teasing smirks and his too-genuine concern, I realized—I wasn't just liking him back anymore.I was falling.
So when the final bell rang that Friday and the classroom began to empty, I didn't think twice. My heart hammered, but my feet moved anyway.
"Peryn," I called, my voice too small at first. He turned, half-packing his bag, that easy grin tugging his lips."Yeah, Luna?"
I swallowed. My palms were sweaty.Say it. Just say it.
"I… I like you too."
The room went still. My words hung there like fragile glass, and I almost wanted to grab them back, smash them before he could react.But then—his expression changed. That grin slipped into something softer, warmer, deeper.
"You're serious?" he asked, stepping closer. His voice wasn't teasing. It wasn't mocking. It was almost… afraid.
I nodded, forcing myself to meet his eyes. "Yeah. I'm serious."
And just like that, the wall between us shattered.
He dropped his bag carelessly, running a hand through his hair as if he couldn't believe this was happening. Then, with that crooked smile I'd secretly memorized, he said, "You have no idea how long I've been waiting to hear that."
The silence that followed wasn't awkward. It was… alive. My cheeks burned as his hand brushed against mine, tentative, like he was asking for permission. I didn't pull away.
By the time we walked out together, side by side, the world felt different. The usual noise of students rushing to buses and teachers shouting reminders blurred away. All I could focus on was the way Peryn leaned a little closer and whispered, "Guess this makes us official, huh?"
I laughed nervously, shoving his shoulder. "Don't say it like it's some business deal."But the truth was—I didn't mind. Not at all.
Because for the first time, I wasn't just imagining what it would be like.I was living it.