How It All Changed

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Temi stared at him as his whole expression softened.

He looked vulnerable,and that made her whole insides melt.

"I thought the best thing to do was to stay away from you,I thought maybe I could kill the feelings. I was even avoiding Nifemi because I didn't want to have any interactions with anyone.. I needed to focus on how to get rid of the feelings. I needed to kill them," he said. "I have fallen hard for you,Temi and I was very foolish by staying away. I knew you'd get hurt but I wasn't just able to man up to tell you," he stopped and sucked in some air. "I didn't know how you'd react,I thought you could even end our friendship if I told you"

Temi stared into his chocolate eyes as she saw them look into her eyes.

So technically,she was watching someone watch her.

"Jamal," she said but stopped.

She wasn't ready to tell him she liked him.

She wasn't ready to be vulnerable.

She wasn't ready to pour out her heart to just one person and get it crushed.

She wasn't ready to be open to anyone.

No,she wasn't.

"Yes?" He said.

"Nothing" she said and looked away

"I know I'm very foolish for doing that,but trust me. I wanted to just pull you closer to me everytime I saw you, everytime I saw you in the hallways,I wanted to grab your hand and walk with you to lunch,I just didn't know how to-," he stooped I've had crushes on girls in the past,but none felt like this. It's like I can't stay away from you, it's like you're exactly what I need-," he stopped to grab her hand.
"I'm sorry for avoiding you, but I just couldn't think of anything to do at the time,I was stuck"

When she looked at him,she almost hugged him

Almost.

"Then why didn't you tell me all this?" She asked in a small voice

"I didn't know what to do,I had no one to advice me, I hoped to keep the feelings locked away in a far away desert,but Temi," he chuckled. "You're stronger than that. You're a force, you're the force that pulls me closer to you without even knowing. Trust me,I didn't think of you as more than a friend,but I don't know what came over me. I just couldn't stop thinking of you. You make me weak,and trust me. That's the last feeling any guy wants to feel"

Temi sighed as she looked up at him.
"I don't know how to put this to you" she said

"I'll understand even if you don't talk"

"Oh really," she cocked a brow. "So what am I thinking right now?"

"You're thinking of how to hug me,but a side of your brain is telling you not to. It's telling you to stay mad at me"

Temi gasped as she stared at him with amusement and adrenaline.

Without any warning, she reached over to him and engulfed him in a tight hug.

She sighed as his familiar Oudh perfume hit her nostrils.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I know I got you thinking that you probably did something wrong,but you didn't. I was the wrong one,Tems"

"You're not entirely forgiven,but I guess I could pardon you a little" she said and chuckled

He chuckled too as they pulled apart.

"But if we want to keep things going," she sighed. "Then we can't....." She was thinking of how to put it.

"You want us to keep things on hold till we graduate?" He asked and she grinned.