Under the Stars

16. Somebody like him

Chapter 16: Somebody like him 

Mia's POV

*****

I paced around my room nervously as I waited for Layla to message me back. If anybody were to tell ever tell me that I would someday be the one to ask somebody to be my boyfriend, I would have laughed straight in there face. The confidence I was getting with Theo was one I never had with anybody before. It had always been hard for me to be direct with my feelings, especially because of my social anxiety constantly holding me back, yet with Theo I forgot all about that. It seemed natural for me to make the first move, and that in itself was what was scaring me. 

After I messaged Layla to ask him to be my boyfriend, she sent me a couple of messages which made it seem as if she were freaking out, and she told me that she will get to it straight away. That, however, was about five minutes prior, and with every passing second, my nerves grew even more. I wondered whether it was too soon, whether I had freaked him out or something. My heart was thumping loudly, and all I wished was to take it all back. I feared that I potentially ruined my relationship with Theo because of it, but at the same time, we were so far away from each other that I didn't want to risk not jumping at it. I liked him, and I was certain that he liked me back-there was no reason for me to wait any longer.

All of that confidence was surprising me, but I was also happy about it. Layla and Theo brought out a different person in me-they brought out the best of me. Layla showed me that true friendship did exist, and she showed me how a person who truly cares about you is supposed to act. Theo, on the other hand, made me see that there was more to me than just a shy, awkward, socially anxious person. I was not afraid to banter with him, nor was I afraid to give him a reality check when I needed. Talking to him made me see the difference between an infatuation and truly liking someone. I would have never been able to talk to other guys I liked the way I talked to Theo, and I was okay with that. 

I froze as the sound of a skype notification came on my laptop, making me rush back in bed and under my sheets as I embraced myself for what I had received. The nerves of finding out Theo's answer had made me forget all about my chicken pox, and the only thing I could focus on was whether what Layla had sent me was going to crush me, or make me happy. I was an over thinker, and in my mind, I couldn't help but think that even if Theo said that he liked me back, it did not mean that he wanted to get into a relationship with me. Layla told me that he hadn't been in a proper relationship for a while, and I didn't feel like I had anything special to make him want to be in one with me. Despite that, I also knew that he and I clicked, we had a connection that I did not want to just throw away. 

I sucked in a deep breath as I clicked play on the video she sent me, once again around their dinner table. I could hear the clanking of the plates once again before Layla cleared her throat, her phone aiming at Theo's chest. 

"Okay, so I have another announcement which also involves Theo," I could hear Layla say, the video suddenly showing her plate of grilled chicken and mashed potatoes before she put it up to her brother's torso again. "So, you all know how our birthday is very soon, right?" 

I laughed as Theo could be seen cutting a piece of chicken and putting up to his mouth, mumbling a yes to Layla before eating another piece. 

"Great, well, Mia has a great present for you. She wants you to be her boyfriend."

I could hear the excitement in her voice as she said it, and I instantly imagined that beautiful grin of hers plastering on her face as she looked straight at her brother. My eyes widened as I heard Theo start coughing, placing his knife and fork on his plate before taking a gulp of water in between coughs.