Days passed after the kiss, and Miguel's absence was like a constant ache in Eli's chest. His usual lively presence in her life was gone, replaced by the silence of her thoughts. She found herself thinking about him more than she had ever expected. She even found herself rewatching the K-dramas she had loved so much, only now they didn't feel the same. They were missing something—him.
She would lie awake at night, staring at the ceiling, wondering how it had all gone so wrong. The rain, the kiss, the words left unsaid—it was like watching a scene unfold and realizing it was a story she had written herself, but she had no idea how to finish it.
At work, her mind wandered, her productivity suffering. It felt like she was living in a fog, each day a repeat of the last, except for the hole in her heart that had been left when Miguel distanced himself.
Her phone buzzed one afternoon, and she nearly jumped. It was a text from him.
"You alright? Haven't seen you around. Just checking in."
It was brief, casual. Typical Miguel. Eli stared at the screen for a long moment. She felt a wave of guilt, the knowledge that she had pushed him away and couldn't quite figure out how to fix it.
She typed a response, but before she could hit send, she deleted it. She wasn't ready for the vulnerability, not yet.
That evening, after a long day of work, Eli found herself wandering the streets of London, aimlessly. The cool air helped clear her thoughts, but it didn't erase the ache in her chest. She turned a corner, heading towards the familiar park where she and Miguel had spent a lot of time together.
As she walked through the park, her heart skipped a beat when she saw him. There he was, sitting on the bench near the fountain, looking down at his phone, clearly lost in thought.
Her instincts screamed at her to turn away, to leave before he saw her. But something about him being so close, so real in this moment, was irresistible.
Taking a deep breath, she walked towards him. Miguel looked up just as she approached, and his expression softened.
"Hey," he said, his voice warm but guarded. He smiled, but there was something different about it—something that spoke of the distance that had grown between them.
"Hey," Eli replied, standing a little awkwardly. There was a pause as they both just looked at each other, trying to navigate this new space they found themselves in.
"I've missed you," Miguel said, surprising her with the honesty in his voice. "I mean, you've been gone, and it feels weird. But you've been quiet. I didn't know if it was something I did… or…"
Eli swallowed hard, her heart racing. She wanted to say so many things, but the words felt stuck in her throat. Finally, she exhaled, breaking the silence.
"I'm sorry, Miguel," she whispered. "I pushed you away. And I don't know why. I was scared."
Miguel raised an eyebrow, confusion washing over his features. "Scared? Of me?"
"Scared that I wasn't good enough for you," Eli admitted, her voice barely audible. "I'm just a regular girl. You're... well, you're you. You deserve someone who can give you everything. And I... I thought I'd mess it up."
Miguel's gaze softened as he stood and took a step closer. "Eli," he said gently, his hand reaching out to touch hers. "You're not just a regular girl. You're the most interesting person I've met in ages. I like you because of who you are. Not because of anything else."
Eli looked up at him, her heart thudding in her chest. "But I was so afraid. Afraid to love. Afraid to get hurt."
Miguel smiled then, a full smile that lit up his whole face. "You don't have to be afraid with me. I'm not going anywhere."
It felt like the world shifted in that moment. The barriers she had spent so long building came crashing down, one by one. For the first time in a long time, Eli felt the truth of Miguel's words sink in. He wasn't like the others. He wasn't going to walk away just because things got hard.
They sat together on the bench, talking, laughing, and sharing stories. It was so easy. Too easy. It was the kind of conversation she had always imagined in her K-dramas, the ones where everything just clicked.
But as the evening wore on, there was still something unspoken between them—a weight neither of them dared to address.
Eli's mind raced as she tried to figure out what to do. She wasn't ready for love, she told herself. Not like this. Not with someone so... perfect.
But Miguel was persistent, in the way he always had been. He didn't let her retreat, didn't let her hide behind her walls. He was there, right next to her, and for the first time, Eli allowed herself to enjoy it.
It was a week later, on a rainy evening, that everything finally came to a head. Eli had decided, finally, that she couldn't hide her feelings any longer. She needed to tell Miguel the truth, even if it terrified her.
She found him at his apartment. When he opened the door, there was no playful teasing in his eyes, no joking smile. He was serious, waiting.
"I need to tell you something," Eli said, her voice shaking slightly.
Miguel stepped aside, letting her in. "What's going on?" he asked, his eyes full of concern.
"I've been running from this for so long," she started, her heart pounding. "From you. From how I feel."
Miguel's brows furrowed, but he didn't interrupt. He just watched her, his expression gentle.
"I never thought someone like you could love someone like me," Eli continued, her voice barely above a whisper. "But the truth is, I've been in love with you. For so long, I've tried to deny it, but it's real. And I can't keep pretending that I don't feel it."
Miguel was silent for a long moment. His face softened, and then, finally, he smiled. "Well, it's about time, Sunshine."
Eli's heart soared, and all the weight she had carried around for so long seemed to disappear. Miguel stepped forward, his hands gently cupping her face as he leaned in to kiss her softly, his lips warm and familiar.
Eli had never expected her love story to be anything like the ones she watched on TV. It was messy, full of doubts, hesitations, and mistakes. But it was also real. It was theirs.
The world around them was no longer painted in shades of monotony. For the first time in years, Eli felt truly alive. And Miguel, the boy she had once thought was too perfect for her, was right there beside her, showing her that love wasn't about perfection. It was about being willing to try, again and again.
"I'm glad you found me," he whispered one evening, his arm around her.
"I think you always found me," Eli replied with a soft smile.
And with that, they both knew that they had found something real, something beautiful, and something they would hold onto for the rest of their lives..