Chris Joelle's cheeks flushed as my words hung in the air like a bridge between the past and the present. In that moment, time seemed to fold back on itself, carrying me to a place of memories and emotions long buried. As she blushed I remembered what a brilliant student she had been, how I’d been unexpectedly drawn to her, the kiss we had shared and the hell that came after that. I knew it was time to apologize to her. I knew I would like never get another chance. “Joelle, I need you to hear me out,” I told her. “I’m sorry for…” I implored, my voice tinged with sincerity. My intention to apologize hovered in the air, caught between the gravity of past mistakes and the possibility of healing wounds. But before my words could find their path, she silenced me with the gentlest of gestures—two slender fingers pressed softly against my lips. Our eyes met, a silent exchange laden with emotions. There, within the depths of her gaze, I glimpsed not only pain but also a reservoir of kindness,
Joelle"So where does this leave us?" he asked, his voice carrying a hint of uncertainty, as I took slow sips from my cup of coffee. "I don’t know," I replied, the words slipping out hastily, carrying the weight of my own confusion. "Us." The word echoed in my mind, carrying a weight that stretched far beyond its simple letters. Could there truly be an "us"? The past weeks had woven a tapestry of emotions, where he had become a haven, a sanctuary in the midst of my chaos. Each visit to him had turned into a lifeline, a respite from the challenges of reality. But was he more than that? Or was he merely that, an escape, a temporary refuge from my troubles? I felt butterflies in my stomach every time I was about to meet him. It was a familiar sensation, one that had surfaced years ago, igniting my memories and emotions. Without thinking further, I looked into his eyes, closed them, leaned closer to him and kissed him. He didn’t push me away and reciprocated. At that moment in time, it f
- Joelle -It was a warm afternoon in May, and the sun bathed the campus in its golden light. The fragrance of geraniums planted all around filled the air, pleasing my senses. As I sat on a wooden bench with Jason, the only sounds that reached my ears were the melodious chirping of birds and the occasional footsteps of passing students. Jason leaned against the backrest while I lay with my head in his lap, facing the radiant sun, and my legs were comfortably bent, resting on the bench. His hands gently ran through my hair, creating a soothing sensation. Despite the impending exams, I had never felt so relaxed. Yet, there was a nagging thought in the back of my mind—when did we become so close?To any casual observer, we appeared like any other young couple on campus, the quintessential college sweethearts filled with dreams and aspirations. But the truth was that there was nothing romantic between us. We had shared a few classes during our time at Junior College, but we never really s
- Joelle -Hey lovebirds! Sorry for interrupting. Wanna grab a bite with us?” said a voice from behind Jason. I leaned to the side to see who it was. It was Kevin and Matthew. They had known Jason ever since they were kids. They were following a degree in Engineering at the same University we attended and we often hung out with them when all four of us were free. According to Matthew, Jason and I were in some sort of secret relationship. That was his definition when I was around. Apparently the term wasn’t censored when I wasn’t around. I used to blush every time he said it but the more I denied it the more he said it. In the end Jason told me there were two ways of dealing with Matthew, either play along with him or ignore him completely. I chose the latter. Sure enough he stopped. By now though, I had gotten used to him and became immune to his comments. I managed to keep my cool around him and usually reacted by rolling my eyes or sticking my tongue out to him. Jason always laughe
-Jason- I had never seen that look in her eyes and a dagger pierced my heart. She was hurt, I could tell as much. Had I hurt her? How? Why? Had she developed feeling for me too? My heart rejoiced at the thought for a second but I quickly removed the idea from my mind. As much as I wanted it to be true her reaction earlier that day proved she didn’t want me anywhere other than in the friend zone. She freaked out when I jokingly said I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. From time to time I dropped hints about how much she meant to me and she always said the feelings were mutual and that I was the brother she never had. Except that wasn’t what I felt for her. I didn’t look at her as a sister, I wanted more. I wanted to call her mine. I wanted her to call me hers. God knows it took every ounce of strength of my being to stop myself from punching someone every time we were out and some guy checked her out. It took even more to stop myself from kissing her every time we somehow
- Jason -In the following weeks, our schedules became increasingly hectic as we prepared for our final exams. Joelle and I spent more and more time together either at my place or at hers. I lived alone. I had arrived in Malta with my parents and older sister when I was three years old and grew up here. I started school here having no clue about the languages spoken. We spoke Italian at home, the languages spoken here were English and Maltese. Kevin and Matthew were two of the first friends I made. It didn’t matter to them that I didn’t speak their language. We somehow found a way to communicate and before long we were inseparable. Along the years many people came into my life and left. Matthew and Kevin remained steadfast. There were maybe five or six people in the world I would have trusted with my life and my secrets. Matthew and Kevin were two of those people. Over the years, we had stuck together through thick and thin and knew they would have my back just like I would have their
-Joelle -My much awaited holiday finally arrived. This year Minna and I were meeting in Norway. It was a country I had never been to and I was looking forward to the longer days, the midnight sun and the milder climate. With Norway being so close to Finland, Minna had visited it multiple times. She knew exactly where to go, what to avoid and what to visit. We normally planned our itinerary together. This time round however Minna offered to plan the trip herself. I was glad. I had been too busy with exams and all that had been going on around me to think about the trip. Having someone plan the trip for me was a luxury I greatly appreciated.When I arrived at the airport, I spotted Minna waiting for me. She had arrived earlier that morning and had already picked up our rental car. In the Arrivals lounge, she held up a placard with my name on it, grinning from ear to ear. I rushed over to her, dropped my bag, and enveloped her in a tight embrace. We held each other for a moment, basking
- Jason -There have been very few instances in my life where I can recall being left speechless. Tonight was one of them. Standing in front of Joelle's house, I was taken aback as she emerged, looking like a star from a Hollywood red carpet event. "Where is my Bugs, and what have you done to her?" I thought to myself. Her hair was elegantly styled in a simple bun, and her makeup highlighted her beautiful eyes. Wearing a stunning royal blue halterneck dress, every slight curve of her body tempted me to reach out and touch her. She smiled at me shyly, our eyes met and my world stopped. With every step she took towards me, my heart raced faster. It was going to be a long night, I anticipated. "Well?" she said, awaiting my response. "Well, what?" I replied, caught off guard. "I'm waiting for you to offer me your arm," she teased. "Oh, right, my arm," I mumbled, quickly extending my arm and tucking hers underneath. Her smile widened as I escorted her to our waiting cab. Although the bal