Kelly's POV
I kept staring at his message.
"I love you."
Three simple words.
Yet somehow, they felt heavy enough to turn my entire world upside down.
My fingers hovered over the keyboard, but I couldn't type anything.
I was shocked.
Confused.
Scared.
A part of me wanted to smile like an idiot and accept him immediately.
But another part of me?
That part was terrified.
Because every time I trusted someone, I ended up regretting it.
And Max…
Max wasn't exactly the type of boy people trusted easily.
He flirted too much.
Talked to too many girls.
And honestly?
Last year, he used to make fun of me with his friends sometimes.
So how was I supposed to suddenly believe that he loved me?
It felt unreal.
I stared at his confession again before finally typing:
"Lol bro, nice joke."
The moment I sent it, my chest tightened.
Why did I suddenly feel guilty?
A few seconds later, he replied.
"I'm not joking."
Another message appeared immediately.
"Maybe it's a joke for you… but for me, this is what I'm actually feeling right now."
My heartbeat started speeding up again.
He sounded serious.
Too serious.
I bit my lower lip nervously and looked away from my screen for a moment.
What was I even supposed to say?
That I liked him too?
That I had started waiting for his messages without realizing it?
No.
I couldn't be that vulnerable again.
Not this quickly.
So instead, I typed honestly:
"I have trust issues."
His reply came faster than I expected.
"I do too."
Then another message.
"We're kind of similar, don't you think?"
Something about those words made my chest ache softly.
Similar.
Broken people always find each other too easily.
Still, I couldn't stop myself from asking:
"Then how am I supposed to trust you?"
This time he took a little longer to reply.
When the notification finally appeared, my eyes immediately moved to the screen.
"Because I won't leave you."
My breath caught slightly.
Another message came.
"And I won't let you leave me either."
I stared at those words for way too long.
He continued:
"I don't know about anyone else… but my feelings for you won't change."
Why was he saying exactly the things my heart wanted to hear?
And why did it feel dangerous?
I quickly shook my head, trying to stop myself from overthinking.
No.
I couldn't fall this easily.
Not again.
But before I could even think properly, another message appeared.
"So… what's your answer?"
I froze.
Answer?
Already?
I wasn't ready.
I didn't even understand my own feelings yet.
Everything was happening too fast.
So I typed the safest reply possible.
"Umm… I need time."
To my surprise, he didn't get angry.
Instead, he replied gently:
"Okay."
Then:
"I'll wait."
My heart softened a little.
And just when I thought the conversation was over, another message popped up.
"But don't tell your friends that I confessed."
I frowned immediately.
"Why?"
His typing notification appeared for a few seconds before disappearing again.
Then finally:
"There are reasons. I'll explain later. Just… keep it private for now."
Something about that reply felt strange.
Still, I ignored the uncomfortable feeling and asked:
"Can I at least tell my best friend Ava?"
"No."
I blinked.
That answer came way too quickly.
He explained:
"If you tell her, then soon everyone in school will know. I don't want that right now."
I sighed quietly.
Keeping this entire thing hidden already felt exhausting.
Especially from Ava.
She was one of the only people I actually trusted.
But somehow…
I still agreed.
Maybe because I didn't want to lose whatever this was becoming between us.
After a few more random messages, he finally typed:
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight," I replied softly.
And then—
Another notification.
"I love you."
My cheeks immediately burned.
Why did he keep saying that so casually?
I didn't know how to respond, so instead I just liked his message and typed:
"hehe."
A few seconds later, he liked my message too.
And somehow…
That tiny interaction was enough to make me smile at my screen for ten whole minutes like a complete idiot.
The next morning, I woke up earlier than usual.
And the first thing I did?
Check my phone.
Pathetic.
I opened Instagram immediately.
A new message from Max was waiting there.
"Good morning."
I smiled before replying:
"Umm… good morning hehe."
A few seconds later:
"So… can I know your answer now?"
I rolled my eyes dramatically.
"I'm still confused."
"It's okay. Take your time."
Why was he being so patient?
That honestly made everything worse.
Because if he had acted rude or immature, moving on would've been easier.
But instead…
He kept acting gentle.
Understanding.
Soft.
Suddenly another message appeared.
It was a photo.
My heartbeat skipped.
He had sent me a selfie.
"By the way… this is how I look."
I opened the picture slowly.
And gosh.
Why did he have to look so handsome?
I immediately locked my phone and buried my face into my pillow dramatically.
"This is bad," I muttered to myself.
Very bad.
Trying to hide my embarrassment, I replied jokingly:
"Oh really? Thanks for telling me. I totally didn't know what you looked like before."
He played along instantly.
"Now that you know… what's your plan?"
I frowned.
"What plan?"
"Do you want to accept me as your future life partner?"
My face immediately turned hot again.
Why was he talking like this so confidently?
I stared at his message for a long time.
And somewhere deep down…
I realized something terrifying.
I had already started falling for him.
Maybe not completely.
But enough for his words to affect me.
Enough for his attention to make my heart race.
Enough for the idea of losing him to scare me.
Slowly, I typed:
"Just know that I didn't reject you."
A few seconds later:
"Wait… are you accepting my proposal?"
I smiled nervously to myself before replying:
"Hehe… maybe."
Almost immediately, he sent a voice note.
I hesitated before pressing play.
His voice sounded excited.
Happy.
"Gosh, I wasn't expecting this… I'm actually really happy right now."
A stupid smile appeared on my face again.
But then his tone changed slightly.
"But there's something important."
My smile faded.
"I think we should stay friends for now. We don't really know each other properly yet. Let's understand each other first before getting into a relationship."
That made sense.
Honestly, it probably sounded mature too.
So why did my chest suddenly feel heavy?
Still, I agreed.
Then slowly, I asked the question that had been bothering me since yesterday.
"What happened between you and Kate?"
There was silence for a while.
Then finally, he replied:
"Her mother saw us together."
"So that's why you guys broke up?"
"It's complicated."
Another voice note came.
I played it carefully.
"After that, things became weird between us. She started talking to other boys… flirting maybe. But whenever I talked to another girl, she got angry."
I listened quietly.
"That's why I asked you for time. I need to end things properly first."
My chest tightened painfully.
End things properly?
So they weren't completely over?
Trying not to sound hurt, I typed:
"I think you should talk to her clearly."
Another voice note.
This one sounded quieter.
More confused.
"I can't hurt her."
My fingers slowly tightened around my phone.
"Maybe I still love her. Or maybe I don't. I don't know anymore."
Every word hurt more than the last.
Then finally—
"But I love you too."
Too.
That single word shattered something inside me quietly.
I stayed silent for a few seconds before replying softly:
"Okay… I'll wait then."
"Thanks."
I locked my phone slowly and stared at the ceiling above me.
Why did I feel like crying?
He was the one who confessed first.
Yet somehow…
I was the one waiting for him.
Waiting for him to choose.
And the worst part?
A small part of me was terrified that when the time came…
He would still choose her.