Hallie's Story: I Don't Know Who To Love

as if letting go of a delicate dove. I walked down the remaining stairs with my gaze fixed firmly ahead, determined not to look back at him. My muscles were rigid, each step heavy with an

wkward, half-hearted goodbye and stepped in

ing within me. To be honest, I felt oddly detached from the whole situation; it was as if my mind was shielding me from fully confronting my feelings. After our conversation, I tried to resume my night a

h my messages to discover twenty notifications, each one more desperate than the last. A wave of frustration washed over me, and I decided then and there that I wouldn't reply

m, I was startled to see a pair of unfamiliar shoes at the entrance-definitely not Grace's. Stepping inside, I was taken aback to find Michael sitting cr

, my heart racing. Michael stood up, a warm expression crossing his face. "We had the same classes when we

room, murmuring a quick, "Oh, that's nice," in response to their shared history. The door clicked shut behind me, and

ng still while I waited for him to leave. Once Grace informed me that they were headed out, I couldn't help but exhale a sigh of relief. The sound of the door clicking shut was a signal for me to wra

guard when Michael followed closely behind her. Nonchalantly, I continued to browse my social media feed, attempting to ignore the sudden flutter of nerves

replies, hoping he would pick up on my distance. After what felt like an eternity of his chatter, he finally seemed to take the hint and leave, the door closing softly behind him. I felt a sense of relief wash over me, almost palpable. Even Grace no

tired of the frantic quest to find someone special. I just wanted a moment to breathe, enjoy life at my own pace, and simply take things one day at a

med to swallow him whole, absorbed in his phone. As he lifted his gaz

ze on him. I shrugged casually, doing my best to play it cool. "Yeah," I replied, feig

As we waited, he passed us again, this time looking subtly nervous. I chose not to acknowledge

fleeting moment, but from the corner of my eye, I caught him smiling at us. "Do you think I should

; I wished she hadn't noticed his interest-but I didn't know how to express that without so

o the empty seat next to me, and without hesitating, I nodded, quickly lifting my bag to make space

te, sparking a conversation between them. I stole a glance back at him, still seated, and he waved at me. A wave of panic rushed thr