ONE DAY [ MATHEW BARZAL ]

- twelve hours -

"So, the reason you stopped trying to prove love exists to me is?" I question Mathew who sits in front of me. His eyes are watching my every movement, I feel like he is studying me carefully after the announcement he just made and I'm not surprised.

"Because you can't see love or even believe in it is because you've never been in love yourself." Mathew says with a simple shrug of his shoulders. I stare at him emotionless, keeping my face straight with no reaction to what he just said so he doesn't see how much his words have affected me. I guess he is right, maybe I am against the thought of love because I have never 'felt' it. I have never had a real relationship with anyone, I am twenty-one years old and never had a relationship with anyone.

How can I tell Mathew that? I feel embarrassed even thinking about it, I am sure Mathew has had his fair share of relationships and telling someone as handsome as him that I have never been in a relationship, it makes me want to crawl into a ball and hide from the world forever. But I don't think that is a reason why I believe love doesn't exist, maybe partly a reason but not the full reason.

"And what is your plan now then?" I ask leaning forward and rest my chin on the palm of my hand, my eyes staying focused on Mathew's hazel ones.

He leans forward too and smiles cheekily at me. "Well, seeing as my attempt failed to show you love, this time I am going to make you feel love."

"How can you do that?" I sigh cocking an eyebrow towards Mathew.

He grins wider this time, scooting his chair closer to the point where his knees are touching mine. "I am going to make us fall in love with each other." Mathew shrugs like it's no big deal, but I stare at him with wide eyes at what he just said. "With the twelve hours that you have left in the city of New York, I am going to make you fall in love with me just to prove that love exists."

"What happens if I don't fall in love with you?" I question him, a faint smile playing at my lips when I see him smile too.

"Then I will believe you, I will believe that love doesn't exist." Mathew tells me, his eyes glinting with an emotion I have never seen before. My brow creases as I try to figure out what it was, but I can't tell.

"OK then." I nod my head at Mathew, agreeing to let him do what he has planned. "You got yourself a deal, try and make me fall in love with you with the hours I have left here."

"Good, because when you get on that plane at midnight you will be begging me to come with you because you are in love with me." Mathew grins cheekily. He bops his index finger against my nose, I scrunch my nose up at his touch and stick my tongue out at him when he chuckles at my reaction.

I don't know how he is going to do what he has planned for us, I don't know how he can make me fall in love with him in the twelve hours I have left here. How can he do that in twelve hours? If love exists shouldn't it take years to build it up? Seeing my parents, they are happy together and I know they always will be because they have spent half of their lives together. I have only known Matthew for two hours; how can he make me fall in love with him when I know nothing about him. It has my thoughts running a mile a minute, my mind trying to figure out this Mathew who sits in front of me.

"If you are going to try and make me fall in love with you, shouldn't I know things about you?" I say straightening up, my hands rest against the table beside Mathew. I know I will whole heartedly be involved with whatever Mathew does to try and prove that love is real, it is the least I can do whenever he sees that it doesn't and that I was right all along.