"Let's date." It didn't seem like she was joking. Was I dreaming? No, I was not, her smile was proof enough for my reality of everything. I didn't waste any time and in two long strides I crossed the room and pulled her in a kiss. The kiss wasn't desperate or needy, it was just assuring. I inserted my tongue in her mouth, tasting her. I drowned in her sweetness, for the first time I let myself savor her. I didn't realize when she slowly sank in the bed pulling me over her. She wrapped her arms around my neck, one hand caressing my hair. She sucked on my lips and bit them lightly, stopping me. We both gasped for air, drawing in deep, fast breaths.

I looked in her eyes properly this time, hovering above her. "You sure?" I still couldn't believe she was agreeing but when she nodded, smiling ever so sweetly, I lost my mind. A full blown grin bloomed on my face while I processed what was happening.

She sat up on the bed across from me, her smile slowly dropping with each second, "But I have to tell you something." I expected this to come. She wasn't the type to deceive someone and I wanted to know the full story. She must want to tell me the truth now. But the seriousness of her voice squeezed my stomach.

I braced myself to hear the truth I already knew. "I have to go back home in March," she said, pain flashing in her eyes, "and I am not coming back. Ever."

Despite having an idea, hearing her say this made my heart twist and the thought of never seeing her again tightened my chest. Kayra's lips pressed together in a thin line. "I am getting married." It suddenly got hard to breathe.

I knew this. But I never acknowledged it. I didn't want to. The fact hurt more that she wasn't happy than that she was going to become someone else's. Kayra deserved to be happy. She deserved the world.

I took her hands in mine and squeezed them a little, "I know.” Her eyes widened and they only asked how did I know. Her reaction was only natural, so I answered her honestly. "No one told me. Don't worry." Her eyes still lingered on mine. "I overheard Ruby and Amelia talking. I didn't want to eavesdrop but when they said your name with such worry, I couldn't help myself. I'm sorry."

She didn't answer for a second. Have I disappointed her? Just when anxiety started creeping within me, she gently smiled. "That's a relief."

She wasn't angry or disappointed, rather relieved. I understood why she was relieved and seeing her relieved made me feel relieved as well. "Then, are we a couple now?" I asked, tucking her bangs behind her ear, so I could take a good look at her face. I gazed deep in her chocolate eyes while a small smile danced on my lips.

"On one condition," she said, holding my hand. "Condition? What condition?"

"Our relationship ends when I go back," she said and I expected as much because family always came first to her. But I also had this competitive and confident spirit within me that I could change her mind. And I will.

I squeezed her hand lightly, "It's okay. The time doesn't matter, what matters is that you're with me now." It was right. She was mine and I was hers and that's the only thing that mattered. No one knows what lies in the future, a month can turn into a year then a decade and then an eternity. Life's unpredictable.

Her smile reappeared. I pecked her lips lightly to seal the deal. "You can't back off now." A sheepish smile danced on her lips and a jolly grin ghosted mine. I was so happy right now, I couldn't even put it into words.

Thank you for giving me a chance, Kayra.

But that moment didn't last long, when we heard a car parking in the driveway. Kayra squeezed my hand tightly until it hurt in panic. "You have to leave,” she said, dead serious, getting up from the bed, dragging me along with her. "But why?" I tried to free my hand from her grip but to no avail. We were just near the staircase when the front door unlocked.

I was too confused to make anything out of this situation while Kayra pulled me back in the room and closed the door. She was in a hurry. "Let's keep this a secret for a while. I don't want them to find out like this." She motioned between us. I got what she meant.

To be honest, they'd definitely call us crazy if they find out about us. We always bickered like sworn enemies, so becoming a couple was never in the picture. Romance genre didn't suit us, comedy and thriller were a much appropriate match.

Kayra searched her room frantically to find something, maybe to hide me. She went up to the window and opened it. "Can you jump down?" She didn't plan on hiding me but to kill me.

"Are you crazy? This is the first floor. I will hurt myself." She wasn't thinking straight. Seeing her panic made me panic as well. We both panicked like we were doing something illegal here and if we got caught this would be the end for us. "How about using a rope?"

"I can try." Rope's fine as long as it is strong. Kayra searched her closet and brought a short but sturdy rope. I suppressed the urge to ask her why she kept such a rope with her. The footsteps turned audible from outside. They were coming up and it did me no good as Kayra had only hastened the knot on the window. The rope only covered half the height but we were in too much of a hurry to care.

“You can do this!” Kayra whispered. Nodding, I climbed down the rope slowly and steadily. My quota of luck had only lasted until Kayra's acceptance because the distance between where the rope ended and the ground was far bigger than it’d seemed from above. I couldn't even jump or climb up, just stuck in between. I truly felt the meaning of hanging between life and death.

And finally the fragile thread of my luck snapped, my hands slipped and I kissed the hard, cold ground. The fall was nasty but the pain was bearable. Kayra shut the window after throwing a worried glance at me. This was just the beginning but I knew our relationship would have a lot of chaos.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•

I'd barely hit the road with my aching leg, just when Jake appeared. "I never thought I'd find you like this,” Jake said, who stopped his car right by my side. His eyes screamed 'hopeless' at me. "Get in."

I got in the passenger seat and looked behind in the car to find it empty. "Where's Asher?" Asher had gone with them and it's only natural he returned with them as well. "He's returning via bus."

"Why?" The atmosphere dropped and Jake became more serious than he usually is. "He had some kind of situation. He said not to worry though."

"Is that so? Did something happen back at his parent's?" He wasn't answering but not denying anything as well. It was weird as well at Kayra's house, when her friends came up to Kayra as soon as they arrived.

Jake shook his head. "We shouldn't interfere. It's his business to take care of,” Jake said after a pause. If he was saying this then it meant the issue was solvable and Asher alone could do it. Asher often got in trouble but not serious enough for us to worry about.

"Did she hit you?" Jake asked suddenly changing the subject and pointing at my hand which held my leg. "I thought if you were alone with her, things might work out but I guess I failed to consider the possibility of her hitting you."

Yeah, she was fully capable of hitting me and hitting me to a worse state than my current but that wasn't the case now. "She didn't hit me or anything. Let's just say I fell, alright?"

He shrugged, "As you wish." He was focused on driving again. "You are not convinced, are you? I am telling you she didn't hit me. Don't you want to hear what happened between us." I tried to convince him.

"I'm not in the mood to hear a pitiful story." What? Pitiful? He speaks less but still manages to rile me up. I drew in a deep breath and pulled myself together. The words 'we're dating now' danced on my tongue but I swallowed them. I had to keep it a secret but I doubt Jake would tell anyone. Still, I refrained from stating it clearly. "Just so you know, the story isn't pitiful, in fact it's quite the opposite."

"Good for you." The corners of Jake's lips twitched. He was just teasing me and I fell for it. Nothing can be kept hidden from him and I was sure he figured everything out as well. A smile appeared of my own. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"I just felt like you deserved it." Jake had played the biggest part in this and he owed a big thank you. Time and again he gave me opportunities to be with Kayra and made me realize my feelings. Despite his cold exterior, he was a kind person inside. And I was grateful to have him as my friend, though it'll hurt my ego to say it out loud.