We walked separately on the way back to the hotel. The silence between us felt heavier than the night air. Neel broke it first, his voice calm but strangely hopeful.
"Do you… want ice cream?"
I opened my mouth to reply, but my phone rang before I could answer.
"Hurry up! Where are you guys? Did you forget our bus is at 12 a.m.?" It was Taran, his voice loud and impatient.
"Five minutes," I said quickly, hanging up.
Turning to Neel, I said, "We have to go back quickly. Our bus leaves at twelve."
"Oh… I had already forgotten," he murmured, scratching his head.
At the bus counter, chaos swirled around us as everyone adjusted their bags and claimed their seats. I struggled to put my bag into the overhead rack. Before Neel could help, Mily reached up easily—her height was always impressive.
This time, Anin suddenly declared he didn't want to sit with me.
I frowned. "Why not?"
"For me, last night was torture," he sighed dramatically. "You put your head on my shoulder, then it kept dropping to my chest again and again. When you leaned the other way, your head hit the window glass, and I had to keep lifting it back. My whole night, gone!"
I blinked at him. "Okay fine, I also don't want to sit with you!"
"Who wants to sit with you anyway?" he shot back.
Before I could argue more, my sister cut in. "Sit with me."
I shook my head immediately. "No. What if you throw up?"
She screamed, "I never throw up! You don't need to sit with me.Go away "
"Let's change seats, Benny," Mily offered.
I didn't reply. Everyone found their spots, but Neel stood there, waiting for me to sit first before taking his seat beside me.
The driver turned off the lights, plunging the bus into silence. Passengers drifted into sleep, the faint hum of the engine and the sway of the bus rocking them like a lullaby.
I couldn't sleep. With my earphones in, I stared out the window, watching the darkness. My heart felt restless.
When I glanced at Neel, he was still awake, scrolling through Facebook on his phone. Without thinking, I pulled out one earbud and placed it in his ear. He looked at me, surprised. Our eyes met.
My chest tightened. I hate this feeling. I had never craved Tori's hug this way, never longed for his warmth. But with Neel, it was unbearable. I wanted to bury myself in his hug, once again.
Turning my face back to the window, I closed my eyes, willing the tears away. But they slipped out anyway, hot trails down my cheeks. It's really hurts.
At some point, I drifted into a fragile sleep. Then I felt it—my head slipping, falling against his chest.
His arm moving to steady me, his hand holding my head in place. My eyes fluttered open. I tilted my head up to look at him.
He was already looking at me.
The world seemed to freeze around us.
Slowly, he leaned down, his eyes locked on mine. His breath was warm against my face, his hand brushing gently under my chin, lifting it slightly. My heart pounded so violently it felt as though it might break free from my chest.
His lips inched closer—closer—my ears burned.
The space between us was disappearing.