章 41: She Felt Her Cheeks Flame

It was around thirty past four in the morning and they both were standing on the road. There was no sign of humans on the road excluding them.

"You said you liked me since eighth standard, " he said thoughtfully after alighting from his car.

"Yes," Jessica said while closing the car door and then looked at the guy who was little away from where she stood.

"Why didn't you tell me when we were in school ?" Austin asked her.

"I wanted to tell you but I was afraid that you might reject me so I thought of telling you after exams but after our exams we never met," Jessica explained.

Austin was listening to each and every single word which came out from her lips keenly all this while. Her words were like a needle which pierced his heart giving him a great pain. Her voice sounded regretful while telling him. Even though she was happy with her present life there was a part of her which regretted for not telling him, her feelings. If only he or she dared to step forward and confess their feelings, things would've been different by now. But they both had their own reasons at that point of time .

"And what made you tell me now?" he asked her.

"The thought of losing the chance to see you again," she boldly said looking into his eyes.

"She is afraid?" he thought. This thought made him chuckle after she replied to his question.

They were in eleventh standard when their classes got shuffled. Jessica, Rachel and Justin names were actually in one list where as Austin's name was in the list of another class, he literally begged his class teacher that he didn't want to change his class and requested her to write his name in the list where Justin and Aaron names were written, his teacher thought that he asked because he wanted to be with his friends but his reason was the girl he fell in love head over heels, since he was a bright student his class teacher agreed to his request. After the teacher agreed to his request he came to the class and saw her lying on the bench. Looking at her, he thought that this girl whom he loves has no idea what sort of things he was doing to be with her. One day, he heard Justin telling Jessica that he would come along with her while going home. Rachel was absent that day. Austin told his driver to leave immediately and then he went along with them to eat at a nearby restaurant. Aaron and Justin understood the situation and thought of helping Austin, they left these two alone making an excuse, Jessica had no idea about the things which were happening behind her back. Austin didn't know the way to the bus stop so he went to ask Aaron and Aaron told him shorter way and the longer way but Austin chose long way to spend more time with her, even Jessica knew that the way they went was longer but she chose to remain silent just to spend time with him. Before she left , he gave her phone number to call him. He waited the entire night for her call but she didn't call him and the next day when she explained him the reason for not calling him, he answered casually as if it didn't mattered to him but the truth was he didn't sleep the entire night. He cherished each and everything which was related to her including the gift she gave him on his birthday. Till today he have the dream catcher in his room which is hung near his bed.

He was happy with each and every word she was uttering, even though her words ached his heart when she told him that she couldn't tell him because she was afraid of his rejection but at the end the truth was that she loved him and this made him feel like he is the happiest man in the world right now.

Until yesterday, he thought only he was the one who loved her but after listening to her confession he realised that the girl in front of him loved him not less than him and not more than him, she loved him equally as he loved her.

"I'm serious Austin," she said when she saw him chuckle.

Jessica hates when someone makes fun of her when she's being serious about something and the person whom she loves since ages has just laughed at her which made her heart heavy.

"You can't make fun of me and laugh just because I told that I love you," she said to him. Her eyes were slightly filled with tears.

"The very next second he held her wrist pulling towards her which made the bag she was holding in her hand fall down. When his both hands settled on either sides of her cheek. What if I'm willing to love you ?" he asked her.

"You don't have to force yourself," she said looking away.

"One second he laughed at me and the next moment he asked me something like that,what should I do now ?" she thought.

He held her cheeks and looked at her sparkling eyes waiting for her to answer his question.

"I don't know," she answered him innocently looking at him.

From the moment she confessed to him, she was sure that he doesn't like her in the way she likes him. She wanted to know his answer and she was ready to accept whatever the answer he gave her. But the question he asked her was out of her imagination. She felt like she was being asked a question which was out of syllabus.

His hand which was on her left cheek went to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear which made her heart started to thump a hundred times faster than usual, she felt his breathe which made her eyes close when he brought his head near her ear and whispered, think and tell me before you go to the office, Ms. Jessica Olsen, he said placing his lips on her forehead leaving a small kiss.

Until now, she told everything confidently whatever she felt for him but now she couldn't utter even a single word after what he just did a few moments ago. He kissed her on forehead without telling her anything. She still didn't understand if he just confessed her or was he teasing her like he always did.

Austin stepped back after kissing her forehead to see her expression which he didn't want to miss at any cost. Her cheeks turned red which made her look cuter than before in his eyes.

"See you soon," he said getting into his car to leave.

Even after he left, she stood there like a statute without moving an inch, she felt her cheeks flame thinking about what just happened.