Love Me Like You Hate Me (Edited Version)

Chapter 34

The music was relaxing and I couldn't resist lying my head against Zack's chest as we swayed slowing to the pulse of sound. Zack's hands were soft and warm, one cupped around my own palm while the other was pressed to the small of my back. A year ago I wouldn't have imagined I'd be here with Zack, dancing together and actually enjoying each other's company. I wouldn't have imagined being here at all. Now... I couldn't imagine being anywhere else.

As the music slowed to match the climax of the song, Zack sighed deeply. His hands relaxing. I looked up at him. "What is it?" I asked.

He held me close, still shuffling his feet around to the harmony in the room. "I was just thinking how lucky I am to be here with you," he said.

I couldn't keep my mind drifted back to what his friends had said about us and I frowned. "Why?" I asked.

Zack chuckled and rested the side of his head against mine. "Because I love you," he said.

That wasn't the kind of answer that I was hoping for and I stopped dancing to look at him. "Why?" I asked again. "What do you like about me? I'm not smart, or attractive. I'm just... messed up. My brain's practically scrambled." I felt my throat choke my words. "I'm just a flaw..."

Zack stared at me, his smile gone, his eyes calculating my sudden mood shift. I realized how stupid I must've looked and quickly tried to distance myself, pulling away from him. "Sorry. Forget I asked," I said. I started towards a quieter area. "I just need a second," I mumbled. I just needed a minute to breathe by myself. I was just overthinking things again.

Before I could even take two steps, however, Zack grabbed my arm and started pulling me away from the crowded dance floor. I had to run to keep up with him as he dragged me outside the school gym and around the side of the building. His eyes were dark, determined; he looked almost scary as he turned to me and pulled me into his arms.

For a moment, neither of us said anything. He just hugged me and I just stood there, wondering what I did. Then he kissed my neck gently, his voice sounding gruff as he whispered in my ear. "I love you because you're kind. I love you because you're brave. I love you because you're forgiving," he said.

My face burned with embarrassment and I struggled to pull away. "Zack, you don't need to-" I started to protest, but he continued anyways.

"I love you because your eyes sparkle likes diamonds. I love you because your smile lights up a room." My eyes started to water as he kept on rambling softly into my ear. He pulled back and cupped my face with his hands. "I love you because of all the people in this world, you have every right to be bitter and hurt, but you choose not to be. You choose to be strong for yourself in a way people rarely are. You make my world bright and if I could spend the rest of my life with you; my mornings, my afternoons, my evenings, even my dreams, I would share them with you. I would give my everything to you if it would make you smile."

He kissed my lips passionately over and over again, still murmuring things as he did so. I felt like crying from happiness, but eventually I was laughing. I laughed when he said he loved my above-average grades, and even more when he kissed my nose and told me he loved how red it got when I was cold. He told me he loved everything about me. When he saw my smile and heard my laughter, he pressed his forehead to mine. "I love you, Erik. I love you so much it hurts," he said.

I smiled back, overwhelmed in the best way. "I love you too," I said.

Suddenly, he pulled away and started looking around on the ground. I frowned. "What is it?" I asked. He picked a couple of spring flowers and turned so I couldn't see him. I wondered what he was doing, but when he turned back to me my heart nearly stopped. "Zack..."

His hands were shaking and his face was red all the way up to his ears, but that didn't stop him from kneeling on one knee and presenting a small ring constructed of the two small flowers he'd picked. "I know this is somewhat informal and early, but..." He straightened his shoulders. "Erik, it would make me the happiest man in the world if you would spend the rest of your life with me."

The tears I'd been holding back gushed forth in a wave I couldn't have stopped if I tried. I stared at Zack as he held the ring out to me. "Will you marry me? Please?" he asked. "Once we're legally old enough to get married," he added.

Laughing at his joke, I wiped my eyes, trying make myself at least the littlest bit presentable. I held out my hand. "Yes. Yes, I will," I said.

Zack slipped the ring onto my finger gently and stood up, kissing me again, slowly and softly. With his arms around me I could no longer hear the faint pulse of music from the gym, or feel the chilly air blow past us. All I saw, all I felt... was Zack; this perfect boy right in front of me. As I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him back, I realized this was the happiest I'd ever been and I loved it.

There was that word again. Love. It was meant as an endearing term of caring. I couldn't seem to recall a time in my past when I truly felt loved. The world had been such a cold place before. But now I really heard it, that word, that phrase; "I love you". It was such a pretty word. I imagined it was soft, brushing past one's ears like a subtle gust of wind. Yeah, I liked that word. I liked a lot.

*******

The End.

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