He slid on the bed beside me and pulled the sheets over himself. He took out the lights and let the moon lamp’s light be the only source left. We turned to each other, and I closed my eyes, trying to get sleep to take me.

Trying, and failing. I felt as if turning away would be rude, but sleeping that way felt plainly weird and uncomfortable.

Few beats passed.

I opened my eyes and found his open as well. His gaze lingered on my face and we stared at each other shamelessly for what felt like a long minute.

“I forgot to give you your phone,” he uttered, grabbing my phone from the bedside table on his side and handing it to me.

“Thanks,” I spoke honestly, having an excuse to do something other than gawk at him.

I got on my back and opened my messages. There were quite a few of them, but the important ones were from my dad and Rhys.

          Father: Take care.

          Me: Thanks, will do, father.

I opened Rhys’s chat next.

          Rhys: hey

          Me: Oh, hi!!

I wasn’t worried about the over-excitement. Rhys had been my best friend for years, he was used to all of it.

          Rhys: Can’t sleep.

          Me: Missing me so much?

          Rhys: Shut up.

          Me: I just love annoying you.

          Rhys: How about you do it over coffee someday.

He flirted shamelessly, but I was no saint.

          Me: Sure. Tomorrow works for me.

          Rhys: Tomorrow 6? 7?

          Me: Pick me up at 6. (I’ll be ready and waiting) 😉

          Me: You know where I live 😉

          Rhys: Yesss

          Rhys: I’ll be the barista who’s going to grind those coffee beans you have.

          Me: OMG!

          Me: So smooth

          Me: And dirty

          Rhys: Like the bedroom floor after you come home for dinner.

          Me: Is that an invitation, sir?

          Rhys: Indeed. This meeting will last for 2-3 days.

          Me: You don’t mind if I put these lines in a book, do you?

          Rhys: NOOO

          Rhys: These are mine

          Rhys: I am possessive

          Me: Over the wrong stuff, eh?

          Rhys: Calling yourself wrong, huh?

          Rhys: Been there, done that!

          Me: So, you’re picking me up now or later?

          Rhys: My limo is waiting right downstairs.

          Me: Damn, you come in a limo and expect me to wait till we get home.

          Rhys: Eh, rich people stuff. You’ll get used to it after tonight.

Before I could reply, Daniel asked, “Who’re you talking to?”

“Rhys,” I answered absentmindedly.

“Explains the blush!”

“Oh, shut up!” I typed a quick ‘ttyl’ to Rhys and put the phone away, taking in the moment.

Me and Daniel. Alone in his bedroom. With a faint yellow romantic light.

Another shiver passed through me.

“I am so sorry, I forgot about your wet clothes!” Daniel sprung to his feet and instantly opened his cupboard.

“NO, I am fine, I really am. No need for that-” before I could complete, he had laid in front of me a pair of very comfortable looking joggers and a tee.

“I’ll give you some space!” he proceeded to leave the room but I had to spice it up. I was an author, after all. A romance one at that.

“No, it’s okay. Just turn around.”

I knew men my age. No matter how polite, they could never resist such a command. He did as I told and sat back down on the bed with his back towards me.

“Thanks for today…” I spoke, slowly taking off his leather jacket.

“Don’t mention,” he replied and I took off my dress and threw it on the floor in his eyesight. His eyeball rolled in that direction and I knew it took him every bit of control he had to not look at me.

I took off my lingerie next and threw it right over my dress. His jaw tightened and he closed his eyes altogether. I slowly put on his tee and then his joggers.

The material felt cold against my naked body yet warm at the same time.

“I am done,” I announced, getting up. I felt slightly dizzy but I picked up my clothes from the floor nonetheless and asked, “Where should I put them to dry them off?”

He tilted his head towards a door I could only assume led to a balcony. I nodded and turned the doorknob, exposing myself to the cold blowing winds outside.

I saw some ropes for hanging clothes and let my clothes dry there. Right before I was done, I felt a presence behind me and I didn’t need to turn to know it was Daniel.

He grabbed my shoulder lightly and said, “Whatever stunt you pulled today…don’t do it again. It was stupid and you could’ve been suspended!”

“I know…I just had to show her her place, you know. I couldn’t resist.”

“I know. But next time, try not to catch hypothermia and a concussion while you’re at it.”

“Got it, boss!” he smiled at me and let his hands hold my head in the most gentle way possible. He pecked my forehead, making me blush to the roots of my hair.

“Want to go back to bed?” I offered, knowing damn well that I was going to melt into a puddle if he held on to me for one more second.

By the time we got back inside, it was very late, about two in the morning. Somehow, perhaps it was the hormones and perhaps it was the thrill, I didn’t feel sleepy at all.

I felt like it was the best night of my life or there were more yet to come. I snuck back under the blankets and he joined me. We laid there quietly, our breathes being the only sound filling the cold air. Everything was so peaceful, so calm.

I felt excited with Rhys, thrilled even. But with Daniel, there was this reassuring warmth that just soothed me.

What was real? The electrics sparks you got or the peace that the other person gave you?

My grandfather told me once that in life you meet hundreds and thousands of people. Some stay in your heart, some in your mind, and some just fade with time. But there’s always one person that sweeps into your life like an angel, that makes you feel so calm, and lets you be yourself. But not always is that person the one you can spend your entire life with.

Maybe that was Daniel for me.

Our hands were barely touching, our breathing almost matched and our eyes almost locked.

Maybe that was the same for our love: it was never going to be full, never a probability, but perhaps always a possibility.

But isn’t that the best kind of romance? The one that never really happened, the one in which you can look back and always relish the memories, always give yourself peace knowing that the person is still out there. Isn’t it the prettiest when you can just cherish the anamnesis, and always wondered what it could’ve been because it was never nothing, never something, but never anything bad either. It was a love with only good memories and breathtaking smiles, careless laughter, and no lies.

But our gaze did meet and neither of us looked away. I felt myself relax more than before, felt my muscles smoothen and I instinctively smiled.

“Can’t sleep?” he asked, reaching out a hand that never really touched my face. It was ashen…an almost touch. The speed with which he retracted his hand, I felt like maybe I had imagined it. Maybe it was never me he reached out to.

Pushing my thoughts aside, I shook my head, unable to muster any words.

“Me either,” he spoke, turning back on his back and staring at the ceiling. A beat passed in silence. “You know, when I was a kid, my mother got me this…” he pointed at a little astronaut figurine at the bedside table which was plugged in. “I couldn’t really sleep well.” He turned off the moon lamp and turned the switch on.

The entire ceiling was filled with a projection of the night sky that came from the figurime. I gasped in surprise. It was such a pretty and realistic sight that I was deemed speechless by it.

“Pretty scenarios always lulled me to sleep,” he spoke and I wanted to agree but I couldn’t resist caving in to sleep and the last thing I noticed was that his eyes weren’t on the ceiling. They were on me.

When I woke up, it was very early morning. Daniel’s clock read 5 AM, and the dark sky outside just confirmed it.

He was soundly sleeping beside me, his face more relaxed than I could ever imagine. His one hand had engulfed mine in a soft hold and his other hand was just…existing.

The ceiling was back to normal, which was good because I wanted to spend all the time I had staring at Daniel, something which I couldn’t possibly do when we were awake.

His hair was messed up, but cute at the same time. he was one of those people who looked good in everything and all the time.

I caressed his hand with mine-slowly, gently, trying not to wake him up while feeling his skin at the same time. I wanted to kiss his cheek, and then touch his lips as well.

I was too much of  a coward to actually do any of it, to even confess my feelings for him.

He was a wonderful person, someone I would definitely want to date but not at the expense of my best friend’s emotions.

And after my “date” with Rhys, I realised that if I were to date Daniel or even anyone else for that matter, there would always be a part of me that would have something for Rhys.

I didn’t know why or even how that had happened. I had known him for four years and I had never felt what I was feeling before that time. But that day, I realized that maybe there was something there.

Something, we had both been neglecting or ignoring for more than we should’ve.

With that thought in mind, I fell back asleep.

When I woke up the next time, Daniel’s mom was in the room and Daniel was nowhere to be found. She put my clothes at the foot of my bed-they were neatly folded and read for me to wear.

I felt my cheeks redden at the thought of her realizeing that I had slept with her son without my undergarments.

“Honey, you want something of mine to wear?” she asked sweetly. Daniel was a charming young man, and I was certin that his mother was the one who had taught him all his manners.

“I am good, I’ll just put my dress back on.”

“At least take my jacket with you. You don’t look like you’re in a condition to walk around in the cold in that outfit.”

There again there was that look of kindness without ny judgement. She didn’t care I was in a slutty dress. I just loved her so much at that moment, even though I hadn’t met her many times.

She handed me a jacket-it wasn’t one of those old-fashioned thingies my mother had. It was well managed and extremely expensive from the look of it and not at all outdated.

I hesitated for a moment, afraid I would somehow ruin her treasure like I had soaked her son’s leather jacket the previous night.

Nonetheless, I accepted it wordlessly just to not offend her. She was too cute to be pouting.

She smiled wilder and left the room. If Daniel was an angel then his mother was a freaking goddess for sure.

I brushed my teeth and changed back into my dress, and put on the jacket. It looked good enough on me-wasn’t too loose and didn’t look weird either which was something I was a little worried about.

His mother had breakfast ready for me in a bowl and had already started serving the second I entered the dining room.

I sat down beside Daniel, who was a little immersed in a book to notice me. “You look wonderful, sweetheart. You should keep the jacket it looks better on you!” his mother said.

“Oh, no, thank you so much for it. But I don’t think I’ll be doing it much justice. My mom just got me something similar so…” I trailed off, hoping she’d buy it.

She nodded, and then smacked Daniel’s arm to bring his attention. “She’s our guest, Dan, get your face out of that book and talk to her!”

There was no argument from Daniel. There was a simple, “Yes, sorry, mom,” and a bookmark was placed in his book and it was instantly put away.

“It’s okay, you can continue-” I started politely but Daniel cut me off in the middle.

“Nonsense…I would hate to bore you. I was just about to end a passage and ask you if you had fun here!”

“It was wonderful! Thanks again for letting me stay. It meant a lot to me. I don’t want to make my parents worried. Thanks for understanding. And the stars were really pretty!”

“I know, right. I love them as well.”

The words hung between us with peaceful silence. We didn’t say anything, just stared at each other and took small bites of our breakfast.

The lack of words was not due to the fact that we had run out of them, it was probably cause we had found a better way to communicate.

“I’ll get going, then. Thanks a lot for letting me stay here,” I told Daniel’s mom.

“Drop her off, Daniel,” Daniel had already grabbed his keys and was out the door before she had even asked him.

“No, it’s fine. It’s right around the corner. I’ll walk.”

“Oh, shut up, darling. You look like a ghost already. Besides, Daniel is already going to Rhys’s to get a book. You won’t be a bother.”

“Thank you so much!”

“Be sure to visit again,”

“I will,” I nodded and made my way out the door. I would love to come again, just to get the hospitality that I was certainly not used to.

Daniel took out his car and then got out of it, just to open the door of the passenger seat for me. I smiled gratefully in response and he only winked.

Not really winked-it was much more of a failed attempt at winking. Daniel didn’t actually know how to wink and his efforts could make anyone laugh.

He sat back and then turned up the music. My phone got connected to the car’s Bluetooth and I turned on Vienna by Billy Joel.

He loved that song, and his obsession had rubbed off on me.

In a matter of seconds, we were singing along and everything felt magic and surreal.

And I, I felt like-no, I knew that I was in love.

I just didn’t know with who.