First Love (is being edited)

Chapter 11

That night, Gem was so excited and conflicted, that she could barely sleep. She liked John and warm emotions that start spreading around her heart.

Still, she was afraid. Afraid of losing the special understanding they seemed to have, afraid of losing him.

It was common with her friends and family members to destroy everything by entering into a relationship with someone. They would end up not even being friends anymore, and she didn't want the same thing to happen to her and John.

He was such a great guy, and hurting him was the last thing she wanted to do, but she couldn't help but wonder whether people could truly avoid hurting each other.

One way or the other, they found ways to break each other's hearts. At least, that was true for the people she knew.

That was the reason Gem was hesitant to ask for something more with John. What if it didn't work out? What if she lost him?

But what if she let him in? He was the first person she could even think about giving her heart to.

The next day, she spent more time than anyone should, picking an outfit for a chocolate cake date. It was just a casual meeting, wasn't it?

She was mad at herself for giving him the peck on the lips. That might have indicated that she wanted more than a friendship from him, and she wasn't sure that was true.

Once again, she was a nervous wreck.

It was strange how she was always anxious when thinking about meeting him, and how she should behave, but when they finally started talking, she felt more comfortable than she had felt in her entire life.

"Pull yourself together! It's just chocolate cake. You love chocolate cake! You also like John, so stop stressing about it." She told herself firmly, as she descended her steps.

The whole time she was waiting for the bus, she repeated that as her mantra. It didn't make her feel better, but at least it occupied her mind, stopping it from thinking about other things.

Upon arriving at the confectionery, she realized that she was almost forty minutes early. It was an annoying habit of hers to arrive everywhere before the appointed time, but still, she had never been so early.

Not knowing what else to do, she sat at the table near the window and decided to get a head start on the cake eating.

She ordered a chocolate cake with chocolate filling. She wasn't kidding when she said that she loved chocolate, it was her favorite sweet, in any shape or form.

Gem was enjoying her chocolate cake while admiring the view of the river through the window. That was how John found her, ten minutes later.

He couldn't help but look at her with admiration. She didn't notice him as seemed lost in thoughts, admiring the scenery, and enjoying her cake.

It was clear to him that she could thoroughly appreciate the cake because, with every bite she took, pure joy was evident on her face. In his whole life, he hadn't seen anyone savoring something so much, enjoying the texture, the smell, the taste, everything.

People around him were always in a hurry. Meals and desserts for many of them were just obligations, something they had to do to satisfy their bodies' needs.

For Gem, it seemed to be a true delight. He loved that about her. How she could make small things that others considered insignificant seem so important, miraculous even.

Although he could have stayed there watching her, in her blissful bubble, forever, he also wanted to hear her speak, make her laugh...So, he cleared his throat to get her attention.