Bella lay face-down on her bed, her hair still damp, a half-eaten granola bar abandoned on her pillow like it had also given up on life. Her phone buzzed for the third time, but she didn't move.
She was having… a lot of feelings.
Not the dramatic, novel-worthy kind. No, these were the dumb, chaotic, contradictory kind that made her want to knock her own head against the nearest wall.
Like:
I saved someone's life.He held my hand.Why did he hold my hand??Why does that hand-holding keep replaying in my head like a rom-com montage?WHAT IF HE DIDN'T MEAN ANYTHING BY IT.
She let out a muffled groan into the pillow. Her brain had become a pinball machine.
Finally, she rolled over and grabbed her phone. Without thinking too much, she opened her chat with Jake.
Bella:
you awake?
A moment later:
Jake 🏀:
always. what did u do now
Bella:
why do you assume I did something??
Jake 🏀:
because when you text me this late it's either because you 1) did something dumb, or 2) are about to do something dumb
anyway. I'm ready. commence the drama.
She rolled her eyes but couldn't help the little smile tugging at her lips. She started typing furiously, a rapid-fire stream of consciousness that included the meet, the race, the fall, the water, the panic and Yunho's warm, strong hand holding hers. The towel. The crowd. The weird almost-tender silence. She didn't hold back. Then she typed:
Bella:
yunho asked me out.
Jake 🏀:
wait. WHAT.
yunho yunho???
tall. brooding. competitive. literal wall of a person???
Bella:
yes that one
but he said it's to "thank me" for pulling him out of the pool
so like. not a real date?
Bella snorted, the sound catching her off guard. She suddenly remembered the time, just a couple weeks ago when she'd turned a corner too fast outside the pool and slammed straight into Yunho's chest.
He hadn't even budged. Just blinked at her and both apologised, while she mumbled something unintelligible and tried to walk away.
Jake 🏀:
ok but also
he wrapped you in a towel and held your hand
like a literal soap opera lead
and you think it's "not a real date"?
Bella:
I don't KNOW
he confuses me
and he always looks like he wants to fight me
and now he wants to buy me food
I don't know what's happening anymore
Jake was silent for a second. Then his typing bubble popped up.
Jake 🏀:
ok here's my advice
go
let him buy you food
eat more than you usually would
see if he still looks at you like you hung the moon
Bella:
helpful 🙄
Jake 🏀:
ALSO
if you don't want him
pls send him to me
tall guys with killer focus and unresolved emotional tension are exactly what we need in defense
Bella:
🤦🏻♀️
i'm seriously asking for emotional clarity and you're out here scouting for basketball tryouts
Jake 🏀:
i'm helping!
also
you don't want clarity
you want me to tell you what you already know
and maybe you're not ready to hear it
She stared at that one for a second. Then his bubble popped up again.
Jake 🏀:
he likes you
and maybe
you're starting to like him too 👀
Bella froze.
It wasn't even the emoji that got her. It was the fact that Jake knew. He always knew, even before she know it herself.
She didn't respond. She just locked her phone and flopped back onto the bed.
Her heart thudded against the mattress like it was trying to escape the conversation entirely.
She was starting to like him.
And tomorrow, she'd have to figure out what to do with that.