Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Love Confession The rain finally starts to fall, pattering against the window. The view outside is pitch black, with thunder and bright lightning looming within heavy cloud. I stand beside the glass door anxiously, staring into the darkness. No sane person would go swimming under this weather, unless he has a death wish. So Eason is crazy. Then why should I care so much about a crazy person?

The rest of the group starts to play poker to kill the time. Their cheerful laughter only makes me more distracted. Eventually when James wins another round of the game and starts to shout out loudly about his victory, I can’t take it anymore and walk up to him.

“Aren’t you worried about him?” I ask sternly.

“Who?” James says absently as he shaffles the cards.

“Eason! He went swimming and it’s fucking raining!” I snap, “Aren’t you worried that something might happen to him? Aren’t you guys like close friends?” My tone is a bit too harsh. The rest of the group snaps their heads up to look at me, all startled by my reaction. After a short pause, Eddie speaks up, “Nat, the guy knows what he is doing. Plus, he was such an asshole to your earlier. So just leave him be.” “Yeah, Nat. Don’t worry about him,” Katherine nods. “He wouldn’t go swimming under this weather.

He’s probably back to his own house already.”

I take in a deep breath and say nothing. Their comforts only build up the anxiety in my heart. James finishes shaffling and starts dealing the cards. He takes a quick glance at me and snickers, “I mean if you are so worried about him. Just call him. Or you can sit down with us and play poker. That’ll take your mind off him.” At this point, I don’t even know if I’m more worried about Eason or I’m more pissed about how indifferent James appears to his friend’s safety.

“Forget it,” I growl, “I’m going to bed.” I stride across the living room and head upstairs. After I enter my own room, I quickly close the door and take out my phone.

Yet my finger pauses at the dialing button.

Should I call him?

If he is already back at his own house and is currently lying on his bed safe and sound like Katherine said, calling him will only make me look like an idiot. I can already imagine his sarcastic tone when he picks up the call.

But…

I take one more look at the storm outside and dial his number.

He can’t laugh at me all he wants. But my consciousness won’t allow me to take that risk.

The dial tone goes busy for a long time.

He’s not picking up the phone.

With each passing second, my heart sinks deeper. Is he mad at me and deliberately ignoring my call?

I end the call and start texting him:

(Where are you?]

[You are not actually swimming, are you?]

[Just let me know you are ok!!!)

After that, I toss the phone aside and bury my face in my palms. I seem pathetic, begging him to answer me like this. Even though he has just humiliated me in front of my friends.

I’m so screwed.

Thunder roars down the sky with deafening booms. After ten painful minutes, I check my phone and still nothing.

No calls. No texts. Nothing.

Then my imagination goes wild. I can picture how he is struggling in water, fighting against the angry waves but gradually losing his strength. Then he starts to choke, drowning…

That it.

I jump up, rushing out of the door and dashing downstairs. The guys are still playing poker. They are all shocked to see me like this.

I ignore them and run towards the door, as Katherine yelling behind me, “Natalia! Where are you going!”

“Go find him!” I yell back and open the entrance door.

I’m immediately welcomed with the pouring rain. The storm is even larger than I thought. The wind is running wild with heavy raindrops, whipping against me and instantly soaking my whole body. But I wipe my face and run in to the storm anyway.

There’s not a single person on the beach. I stagger across the wet land and start to call his name at the top of my lungs, “Eason! Where are you! Eason!!”

But my voice is muffled by the roaring storm and thunder.

I try to see through the sheeting rain and gaze towards the sea. But except for the tempestuous waves, I got nothing. No sign of him.

I wander around in the darkness, desperately. Water is streaming down my face. And I don’t know if it’s rain or my tears. I’ve never felt so helpless in my whole life. If something happens to him…

I’m so regretful. About everything I’ve done and every word I’ve said.

I should have told him how I felt after our first night. He might laugh at me or even despise me, but at least I let him know my true feelings. But now-now I may never have the chance.

My body shivers in the rain and I’ve completely lost my way. I’m on the edge of losing my mind, when suddenly I hear a faint voice calling my name in the distance.

I snap my head around, afraid that it’s only my mishearing.

But no. Although my vision is blurred, I still catch sight of someone running towards me across the darkness and rain, calling my name.

It’s him.

Suddenly I start to run, racing down the waterlogged, loose sand and towards him. My heart is doing a drum-roll against my ribs. I lose my balance when I’m closer to him, but he catches me in time and drags me to his arms.

We hold each other tight, as if clutching on to a lost treasure. His hand presses my head to his chest firmly and I can hear his heartbeat. It’s as wild as mine.

“W-why! Why didn’t you call me back!” I gradually find my voice and it’s shaking as hell. “I was so-so worried! You fucking bastard!”

I’m crying as I yell. I try to break free from him, but he won’t let me go. His grip is so hard that it’s almost hurting me.

“I’m sorry Nat…I’m sorry. Really. I walked home and didn’t check my phone. I didn’t know you would come out and look for me…”

“What do you expect me to do?” I roar on to his face, “Let you fucking die?!”

I’m so furious and start to beat him with my fists. He takes hit and drags me into his arms again.

His voice is so muffled in the rain but I still hear him asking me clearly, “Nat, why did you come out and find me?”

“I told you. I was worried that—” “No,” he slightly pulls away from me, looking closely at me. His green eyes are so incredibly bright even in the darkness. “I meant, why were you so worried? The only person who would go this far to find me in the storm is my mom. And that’s because she is my mom. So why did you-why were you…” He pauses and gulps, as if the following words are hard to come out. But after a short silence, he manages to open his mouth again, “Nat, do you love me?”

I’m speechless. My mind is completely blank.

His iron grip on my arms tightens, as he says urgently, “love is probably too strong. Do you like me? Do you have feelings for me in a non-brother-and-sister way?”

I can’t stop my body from shivering. I don’t know if it’s because of the rain or his question.

I think of my feelings before, how worried and regretful I was. I regretted that I didn’t let him know my feeling when I had the chance.

And now, here’s my chance.

“You said it yourself…” I slowly begin, word by word. “That I never see you as my brother.”

“You are right about that.”

His eyes light up immediately and his smile grows wider. He brings up his hand to palm my face as he says in a hoarse tone, “I will take that as a yes.” Then he lowers his head to kiss me, eagerly and passionately in the rain.