The Hardest Fall

by Ella Maise

I’d mistaken a few girls for her a handful of times, which meant my eyes had been searching for her ever since our last run-in and I wasn’t even fully aware of it.

“I don’t want you to shut up. I like this,” I admitted without a second thought. Why lie when I was enjoying her so much?

“This is the strangest thing, but I think you’re going to be my best friend, Zoe Clarke.”

“Let’s bet on a kiss,” I said, deciding to end her misery. “I think we’re gonna end up kissing one of these days, and I bet you’ll be the first one to beg for it.”

Even though I hadn’t thought that far ahead since kissing her would be a win all on its own, I realized I didn’t even have to think about it. “If I win, I get to have a second kiss…and a third one. After all, three seems to be the magic number with us.”

“It doesn’t matter.

I like the idea of being your first, Zoe.”

Her eyes softened. “I won’t steal your money.” I smiled at her and didn’t think before speaking. “I know you won’t, baby.”

“Zoe,” I said, my voice lower since we were now closer. “You’re rambling again. It’s too cute, and it’s completely okay if you think of your friend as hot. I think you’re hot, too.”

“You look beautiful,” I said honestly. “You always look beautiful, but tonight you look happier. I like your smile tonight. I always like it when you smile, Flash,” I said sincerely.

“I like having your eyes on me, Zoe.”

“I like watching you.”

“You know why I like watching you?”

“Because I can’t take my eyes away from you. Everything else…it all disappears, and…”

“Choose me, Zoe.” The words rushed out of me before I could stop myself.

“Leave him,” I continued. “I’m right here and I want you, so damn much. I’m not sure how much more I can take. Every time I see you with a guy…I just want to rip his head off for touching you, for looking at you, for being close to you when I can’t.

You’re driving me crazy, and I’ve never been so jealous of anyone in my life.” I paused. “I need you to let him go, Zoe. Whatever it is that’s going on between you two, I don’t want to know. Just…I need you to choose me now. I’m the one that’s supposed to be with you, not anyone else.”

So, I think without even realizing what I was doing, I was searching for you. I remember this time when a girl walked around a corner, holding her books to her chest just like you were doing when you saw me that second time.

She stopped me right in my tracks, Zoe, because I thought, There she is. There she is again. Then she turned around and she wasn’t you. I remember feeling so disappointed. It happened a few times, not to that extent, but I thought I saw you and you were never there.”

“My heart beats differently for you. It feels different somehow. I know this probably doesn’t make sense, but…it beats louder, wilder when I see you.”

“Whatever you want, just tell me and it’s yours.”

I wanted all of her moans, all her sighs and gasps. I wanted everything from her.

“I’m going to take everything from you,” I whispered against her skin.

“As long as you give me everything of yourself.” “You already have me, baby.”

“You should keep me then. No one else can look at you the way I do.”

“Keep me, Flash. I’m a good catch.”

I grinned, my heart skipping all over the place. “You know what? I think I will.”

“I’ll catch you when you land, Flash. Just don’t take too much time, because I’m already there, impatiently waiting for you.”

“I’ve always wanted you, Zoe Clarke.”

“Do you believe in love at first sight?” “Not really,” she panted. “I didn’t either, but then why would my eyes look for you in a crowd when I didn’t even know your name? Why would my pulse jump whenever I saw someone I thought was you?”

It’s hard to explain what draws you to a person, what it is about them that makes them so special that you give them your heart. I believe it’s all about who you are together, how you are together. It’s simple, what I feel for her—simple, and the most powerful thing in the world. We chose each other, and we’d keep choosing each other long after we took our last breaths on this earth. Zoe Clarke was my forever, the love of my life, and I was hers.