(Stella’s POV)
The next morning I woke up with a heavy ache in my head. Might be because of thinking much. I noticed Anna was not beside me. Hearing the utensils sound I realized she was in the kitchen.
I sat straight resting my back to the headboard of the bed. I kept rubbing my face with my palms when the last night memories kept bugging my head. I tried so hard to not get emotional still I couldn’t stop it. My eyes became glassy thinking about Harry. When I was in my thoughts, Anna entered in with a coffee mug in her hands.
“Morning Stella.” She greeted smiling at me.
I forced a smile and simply nodded my head to her. She gave me the cup sitting beside me. I started to drink it keeping quiet.
“Still thinking about last night?” Anna asked resting her palm on my thigh.
“How can I not think about it, Anna? I guess I can’t forget it throughout my life.”
“Stella, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have gone with Roman. If I were there then that thing might not had happened.” Anna said with an apologetic voice.
“It’s not your fault Anna. Harry went aggressive much because he saw Noah kissing me.”
Anna’s eyes widened hearing me. She shouted “You both kissed?” She put her palms on her mouth looking at me.
“No. It’s not like that. Noah forced a kiss on me.” I said while gulping down the sadness.
“What?” Anna was beyond shocked.
I nodded my head saying “Noah forced a kiss and he proposed me. Harry saw that and… you know the rest.”
Anna shook her head annoyed. She asked “What did you say to Noah?”
“What else? I said I have no feelings on him.”
“Stella, why won’t you give a chance to Noah? He is a good guy.” Anna tried to convince me.
“Shut up, Anna. I can’t have that kind of relationship with my friend. Noah is my friend. Like you, like Roman. I don’t feel about Noah how I feel about Harry.” I yelled.
“Okay calm down. What are you going to do now, Stella?” Anna asked.
“I don’t know. Whenever I kept trying to forget Harry, he had been giving me the reasons to think about him more. And this time he gave me the reason even to hate him. To fear of him Anna.” I said while warm tears kept rolling down my cheeks.
Anna wrapped her hands over my neck pulling me close. I held her hands saying “Why can’t I have a normal relationship like all others? Like you, Anna.”
When we were talking, my cell phone buzzed. I became frustrated when Noah’s name popped out on the screen. I bent my head holding it between my palms.
Noah again called and Anna picked up answering “Stella is not in the mood to talk to anyone. Please don’t call Noah.”
Saying that she cut the call. Again my cell phone buzzed. It was the message notification from Noah.
“I’m so sorry for yesterday. Please talk to me.” – Noah.
I shook my head mumbling “I think I’m going to die with all these things.
Suddenly the doorbell rang and I heard my mom shouting my name. We both ran to the door and unlocked it. Looking at my mom and dad, tears filled my eyes but I controlled them.
“Mom!” I hugged her resting my chin on her shoulder.
Then I hugged my dad and they entered in.
“I thought you will spend the weekend there and come a day later.” I said looking at my mom.
“You know about your dad, right. He and his damn works.” My mom rolled her eyes.
We talked for few minutes then they walked to their room. Anna and I sat on the sofa silently. She asked if I wanted to tell about Harry to my parents and I nodded my head as negative.
She then said “I think you should tell strictly to Noah how you feel about him if you really don’t want to have any relationship with him.”
I nodded my head and Anna went to her house few minutes later. I sat on the bed thinking about Harry. I was still shaking thinking about last night. I was scared was really an understatement. I didn’t understand what to do with Harry. All I wanted was to go far from the town and hide somewhere.
The next five days I didn’t go to college as I didn’t want to face anyone. I told my parents that I was not feeling well so I was not able to go anywhere. They clearly understood I was upset with something but didn’t force me to tell rather they had been supportive with me however I was behaving.
Noah kept trying to contact me but I didn’t reply him. He even came to my house but I didn’t even go out of my room that left my mom shocked. She shouted at me to tell what happened and I said Noah proposed me so I was just ignoring him. She thought I was upset about that but the truth was it was Harry because of whom I was mad.
When I was in my room, my mom entered in shouting “Noah came again.”
“Mom! Just tell him I don’t want to talk to him.”
“I told him and as usual he left.” My mom shouted again sitting beside me.
“Then why are you shouting?” I asked.
“How many days you’ll just sit here not doing anything, Stella? As parents we should shout at you still we are trying to support you whatever you are doing. But you… he just proposed you. You should not be this much upset for that. What’s the big deal?”
How can I tell her everything that happened? How can I tell her that her favourite person tried to force me? It’s not about the propose, mom. It’s something more. I told myself looking at her.
“Stella!” She shouted looking at me.
“Mom! It’s paining.” I put my hand on my chest saying
“Here. I can’t say anything more.”
My mom held my hand saying “Stella! I can understand but you can’t escape, right? From the things, from the people. Face them, Stella.”
I shook my head saying “Mom…”
“Stella, you can’t always stay here hiding from everyone. Face them Stella.” Saying that she stood from the bed and walked out of the room.
She was right. I couldn’t hide from everyone ever. I should face the reality. I decided to talk to Noah so I called him to meet me at the cafe.
I reached the cafe and Noah was already there waiting for me. I sat in front of him with an emotionless face.
“Thank you for wanted to meet me, Stella.” Noah said.
I kept silent hearing him. He said “I’m sorry for that night. I drank too much and all my emotions overwhelmed looking at you. I failed in controlling my feelings towards you that night.”
I interrupted him saying “Noah, I never thought and never wanted such kind of relationship with you. You are my first and best guy friend. You can never be my boyfriend or a lover.”
“Stella! I’d been loving you since our school days. I was afraid to tell that back then.”
“Noah please. You were my friend and you are my friend. My opinion on you never change.”
Noah’s face went pale hearing me. I held his hand that was on the table and said “Noah, if you don’t want to be my friend then I will have no one like you, for me. I want you as my friend. Please don’t bother me with all other things.”
Saying those words a lone tear escaped my eye. I continued saying “Remember the day when you wore my clothes for a costume party when we were kids.”
Hearing me, Noah let out a little laugh remembering the moment. I kept saying “When I asked you why my clothes you replied I’m your best friend. What’s mine is yours.”
Noah nodded his head letting out a laugh. I said “I want that relationship Noah. Pure relationship. Pure friendship with you.”
Noah’s eyes filled with tears hearing me. He said “You want me to wear your clothes again.”
I let out a chuckle hearing him and he too kept laughing looking at me.
He held my hand saying “I’m sorry Stella. I thought my affection on you as love and yes I’m right. I love you.”
My lips parted hearing him and I bent my head down when he said that.
Noah continued “I love you as my cute little friend.”
I looked at him smiling brightly. I nodded my head hearing him. Tears kept streaming down my eyes when he kept saying. He wiped my tears saying “I don’t bother you Stella. We were friends, we are friends and we will be friends.”
“Thank you.” I mumbled. Then we spent few minutes there and left.