No tears left to cry

" Oh my god Jen! Am I hearing this right?" Nat asked with excitement.

During lunch break, I had told Alex and Nat that I might have feelings towards Zeph. And their reactions were not surprising at all.

" Shush Nat, people can hear you," I said as I proceeded to cover her mouth.

" She couldn't have resisted gorgeous eyes for long," said Alex.

A text popped up on my phone and I couldn't hide my grin. It was Zeph.

" Hey, would you like to celebrate our success with some pizza and Supernatural?"

" Yes, sure. That sounds great." I texted back.

" See you after college then, Miss."

My broad smile and flushed cheeks were enough for Alex and Nat to figure out who I was texting.

" So what did he say?" Alex asked.

" He invited me over to celebrate our success," I said.

" That's amazing! You could try telling him how you feel," exclaimed Nat.

" No. There's no way he feels the same. Besides, it's better if we stay friends. If anything goes wrong, I don't think I'll be able to cope. One-sided is perfect," I said.

" But Jen." I interrupted Nat before she could complete her statement.

(Even though it hurt to think that he might not like me back, I also felt relieved. Because if it didn't work out, then I would not only lose my lover but also my friend. )

(It was better for us to stay friends. I could just love him silently. )

******

" What would your perfect day be like?" I asked Zeph while we played 10 questions to kill time on our way to his house.

" Today is a perfect day. The presentation went well, the project is finally over and now I get to spend time with you," he said while looking at me.

" Your perfect day includes me, I see." I said with one of my eyebrows raised.

" A day without you isn't a perfect day at all," he said.

(However cheesy it may sound, it still managed to make me feel butterflies in my stomach. Actually no, they weren't just butterflies. It was the whole zoo. )

The rest of the day was spent chatting, watching supernatural and discussing theories. I'd say it was a day well spent until…

" The person who said not to wear revealing clothes was your ex-boyfriend, wasn't it? "

(How'd he figure that out. What is this guy? A psychic? )

" I know you're wondering how I figured that out. When I asked you about it, you had the same look on your face as the time when I asked if you ever had a boyfriend before," he explained.

" He was an asshole for controlling you that way. He didn't deserve you Jen."

Hearing him say all of that, I couldn't hold back my tears. I let them flow and I was a crying mess. I tried to hide them but it was so obvious.

Zeph came closer and hugged me tight.

He rubbed my back and said, " He didn't deserve you, Jen and neither does he deserve your precious tears. Save them."

After hearing his words, I tried to relax.

Without thinking much, I told Zephyr about everything. From the sweet beginnings to the miserable ending and everything in between. It felt so natural to open up to him. Nothing was forced, nothing was judged.

At the end all he said was, " I'll never hurt you like he did."

(I believed him. He could never hurt me. Right? )

*****

Lately, Zeph had been coming over to the bakery where I worked. He ordered the same blueberry cheesecake everyday. He came today as well.

Before he could say anything, I said," One blueberry cheesecake coming right up."

" You know me and my order very well."

" So there's something I've been meaning to tell you." Zeph put his arms on the counter and said.

(My heart skipped a beat. Why was I hoping it to be a confession? It obviously wasn't but I didn't expect this...)