Shatter Me Novella #4

“Okay, I’m sorry—you’re not insane—but twenty minutes ago you were accusing me of being in love with my best friend, so, to be fair, I think my feelings are warranted.”

“You were looking at her like you were in love with her!”

“Jesus Christ, woman, I look at you like I’m in love with you!”

“I— Wait. What?”

I squeeze my eyes shut. “Nothing. Never mind. I have to go.”

None of this makes sense. Juliette needs to be here. This whole situation is fucked.”

“You were looking at her like you were in love with her!”

“Jesus Christ, woman, I look at you like I’m in love with you!”

Warner needed a minute to pick out a cute outfit and braid his hair—

“She’s not coming,” Warner shouts. “Go away.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” I shout back. “I want to talk to Juliette. Ella. Jella. Jello. Whatever.”

“Jesus Christ, woman, I look at you like I’m in love with you!”

“You were looking at her like you were in love with her!”

“I mean— That day, when you kissed me. You chose me that day, didn’t you? For your first kiss.”
After a moment, she nods.
“Why?” I say. “Why’d you choose me?”
All of a sudden, her eyes go soft. The tension in her shoulders disappears. “Because,” she says quietly, “I think you might be the best person I’ve ever met.”
“Oh.”

“You know,” she says softly, “I think there was a part of me that was really hoping you’d catch me.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” she whispers. “Otherwise—why didn’t I just fly away?”
I take a second to let that sink in.
And then—
Damn.
She’s right. I never stood a chance against this girl.

“Hey,” I say.
“Yeah?”
“You’re completely insane, you know that?”
“Yeah,” she says, and sighs.
And somehow, impossibly—
I’m smiling.