Holidays were a time of year that I looked forward to with great anticipation. It was a time to let go of the daily routine and embrace the freedom that came with leisure. Nothing could compare to the feeling of waking up late and knowing that there was nowhere you had to be and nothing that you had to do.
For me, the joy of the holidays came from being able to sleep in and spend the whole day lazing around. I loved the feeling of staying in bed long after the sun had risen, the only sound the soft hum of the world outside. It was a feeling of pure indulgence, one that I looked forward to with childlike pleasure.
The best part of the holidays, however, was being able to watch movies until late at night, without having to worry about the consequences the next day. I would spend hours lost in the stories, transported to different worlds and losing myself in the magic of the moment. It was a time to forget about the stresses and worries of everyday life and to immerse myself in the simple pleasures that brought me joy.
Late-night chats with Trez were always the highlight of my days. We would chat for hours, discussing everything under the sun, from our deepest fears to our wildest dreams. We would reminisce about old times and make plans for the future, sharing our hopes and fears with each other without reservation.
**
As I settled in for a night of movies, a notification interrupted my concentration. It was a text message from Ella, my cousin, and one of my closest friends. Despite the four-year age gap, we were more like sisters than cousins. I was filled with excitement as I read her message, eager to catch up and chat.
"Hey sis, how are you?" I typed out, my fingers tapping eagerly against the screen.
"I'm good, you?" she replied, and I could almost hear her voice in my head.
"Same, you should come visit. I miss you," I typed, adding a smiling emoji for good measure.
Her response was quick, and my heart leapt with joy at the thought of seeing her again. "Yeahhh, I miss you too. We can go out on Monday," she suggested.
I grinned, feeling playful. "Yeah, take me out on a date, babe," I typed, adding a grinning emoji to emphasise my teasing tone.
As the conversation continued, I remembered that the following morning we had a trip with my family to visit my sister's new house. She had moved out of the family home because of work, and it had been months since we had last seen each other. I quickly typed out a message to Ella, letting her know about the plans for the next day and said goodnight.
**
The sound of my mother's voice echoed through the halls of our house, and I knew without a doubt that it was directed at me. "Tesss!" she yelled from the living room, her tone filled with impatience.
"I'm coming, mom," I called back, knowing that she was probably tired of waiting for me. I knew that I was taking too long to get ready. But what can I say? I need my time to look cute. I slipped on my shirt behind my crop top and baggy jeans, taking care to make sure everything was just right. As I opened the door, I made my way to the living room, seeing my mom looking at me with a mix of irritation and exasperation. I couldn't help but grin, knowing that she couldn't stay mad at me for long.
As we made our way to the car, I couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement. There was something about road trips that I absolutely loved. The thrill of adventure all combined to create an unforgettable experience.
Even though I loved road trips, I knew that they weren't always easy. Long hours in the car, unexpected detours, and the occasional argument with my family were all part of the experience, but as we arrived at my sister's house, all those challenges were forgotten. It was a cute, small house with one room, a kitchen, bathroom, and living room. I couldn't help but feel a pang of envy as I imagined myself living there.
As we walked inside, my sister greeted us with a warm hug, and we all settled in to catch up on each other's lives. I couldn't wait to explore her new neighbourhood.
After a while, I made my way to the room to freshen up. What's the point of wearing good clothes if you're not going to take pictures, right? As I posed and snapped some selfies, I hurriedly selected the cutest ones to send to Trez and a few to post on my Instagram. After what seemed like a minute, I received a notification that someone had commented on my picture. It was a guy asking me to follow him, which I did because it seemed harmless enough. As soon as he followed me back, he slid into my DMs.
"Heyyy," he texted.
"Hi," I replied, feeling a bit wary.
"I'm Liam and I liked your pictures, you are cute," he continued.
"Thank you!" I replied, adding a smiling emoji. To be honest, I wasn't really in the mood for texting with a stranger, but I figured there was no harm in being polite.
We talked for a bit, but I found myself occasionally leaving him on "seen" while talking to my best friend. Liam seemed nice enough, but I wasn't really interested in getting to know someone new at the moment. Eventually, the conversation fizzled out and I went back to taking selfies and enjoying the rest of my day with my family.
**
"Shit, I'm gonna be late", I muttered to myself as I hastily gathered my things. I had promised to have lunch with Ella, but now I was running late. It was Monday, and the traffic was heavy, making it difficult for me to get a ride. I wondered how I would make it to town in time when a notification chimed on my phone. It was Liam, the guy I had recently met on Instagram.
"Hey girl," he texted.
"Hii Liam," I replied.
"How is your morning?" he asked.
"Good," I replied. I explained the situation to him, laughing at the predicament I was in.
"You're going to town?" he asked. "Maybe we could meet up after you're done?"
I wasn't really in the mood to meet him, but I said yes so as not to seem rude. The lunch date with Ella was amazing, and we enjoyed our meal at a cute little restaurant.
As we chatted away, my phone rang, and I saw that it was Liam calling. He wanted to know where I was so he could come and meet me. I told Ella the whole story, and we laughed at how we had met only the day before. I tried to brush him off, but he insisted on coming to see me.
"I'm going home," I told him. "I'm kinda in a hurry, and I don't like going home late."
"Okay, it's fine," he said. "I was going to your neighbourhood anyway. Can I come to you?"
I reluctantly agreed, hoping he wouldn't show up as it was late. I rode a bike home and quickly took a nap as soon as I got home, exhausted from the day's events. But my phone rang again, and I groggily answered it, wondering who could be calling me.
"So where do I go next?" Liam asked me.
Can things get worse? I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I could just ghost him and leave him stranded. But I couldn't do that, so I gave him directions, which he found difficult to follow. He eventually arrived, and I couldn't help but wonder what my mom would say if she found a guy with me at this hour.
We talked for a while, with Liam introducing himself and telling me how he had been seeing my pictures for a while, but it wasn't until yesterday that he finally got the courage to text me. I found it a bit strange that he was so interested in me when we had just started talking, but I decided to be friendly and see where things went.
As we chatted, I couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy about the whole situation. I barely knew this guy, yet he was so persistent in meeting up with me. I tried to keep the conversation light and casual. But then, out of nowhere, he said something that caught me off guard.
"I love your smile," he said, making me smile despite feeling uncomfortable.
"Thank you," I replied, trying to brush off the compliment.
"So, uhmm, Tess, I love you," he said, looking at me with serious eyes.
I froze. I couldn't believe what I had just heard. We had only met that day, and yet he was confessing his love for me. It was too much too soon.
"What? You know we only met today," I said, still surprised.
"Yeah, but I've seen you on IG for a while, and Tess, I really love you," he said, as if that was enough to justify his feelings.
I burst out laughing because it was ridiculous. He said that if I wanted to get to know him, he could tell me everything I wanted to know, and that there was nothing wrong with it. But I couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling in my gut. I told him that it wasn't possible and that it was getting late. I explained that my parents were strict and wouldn't be happy finding him there.
Despite my excuses, he persisted, saying that he would wait for me. I felt a bit overwhelmed, but I didn't want to be rude and dismiss him. I wished I had never agreed to meet him in the first place.
As we got out of the house, I crossed my fingers, hoping that my mom would come right after he left. But as we stepped outside, I heard a car honking, and I felt my world crush.
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Hey loves, here is Chapter 10 enjoy! Don't forget to comment your thoughts and please like my story.