The Ex Pact

Chapter 35. "The look of love"

"You are going to get used to calling me your girlfriend," she said, lying down once again. He pulled the blanket up to her neck, "I won't mind it," he said. "Of course," she laughed. "You should have gone to your practice. It was important to you," she said. "Emily, it is not more important than you. Get that inside your head. I want to stay with you because I missed spending time. Everything seemed....dull somehow, " he said. 

"So I light up your world?" she said. "You do, unfortunately," he said. "Aww, you love me," she said. "I do, don't I?" he said. "So, what happened at school today?" she asked. "Clark took three classes," he said. "Thank God, I was sick," she said. He shook her head.

"The classes continued as usual, and Oh, they are going through a rough patch," he said. "How rough?" she asked, getting up. He placed a few pillows behind her, "James said in a screaming and throwing things at each other rough," he said. "That's bad, shit do you know what about?" she asked.

"You," he said with a smile. "Please tell me we are thinking the same thing," she said. "He wants you back," he said. "Yes," she said with a smile. "Weren't you sick like a few minutes ago?" he asked. "I will be fine," she said, coughing. "Right," he said. "With a coughing fit and snot, you sure will be fine," he said. "You should be happy. If he wants me back, she surely wants you back," she said.

"No more near kisses or longing glances?" she asked, wriggling her eyebrows. "Firstly, stop doing that, and secondly, sorry to disappoint you. No, there have been near kisses, but there have been a few glances," he said. "It all starts with a look, Sam. It is all about the eyes," she said. "Sure, Emily," he said. "It's how all the love stories start with a glance across the room," she said.

"Did your romance books teach you that?" he asked. 'I have seen love around me, Sam. I know the look of love. I wish to be looked at like that at least once in my life, " she said. "How is it?" he asked. "It is when time seems to stop and nothing else matters except the person around you like you have seen the most beautiful thing in your entire life, that is the look of love," she said. "If I didn't know us, I would say we look at each other like that," she said. "Maybe we are actually in love with each other," he said. "Maybe we are,"  she said, laughing. He missed her more than he could think. He missed everything about her, the way she furrowed her brows when she didn't understand a concept, the way her hair fell around her face, how she lit up his day just by being there.

"Did William ever look at you like that?" he asked. "I don't think he did,"  she said. "And still you want to be with him?" he asked. "I don't think you can judge when you yourself are in love with the girl who insulted you, and may I add she is also the meanest person I know," she said. 

"I know he said. "I guess we both are in love with shitty people," she said. 'I guess so,"  he said. "Sam?" she asked. "Yeah,?" He tucked a strand behind her ear. "I could have fallen in love with you if I knew you sooner," she said. "Me too," he said and looked at her. Suddenly, she seemed like the most beautiful person he had seen. Time seemed to stop for him, Shit!

"Hey, sickoo. I brought you spicy Korean noodles, " Gwyn said, opening the door. She looked between them, "am I interrupting something?" she asked, looking between Sam and Emily. "No," Emily said. "I was just leaving," he got up, "take care, Emily, bye Gwyn," he said, walking out.

"Did he come to visit you?" Gwyn asked, sitting beside her in the bed. "He did. He had football practice today. He didn't go," Emily said, taking out the chopsticks. "That's romantic, I don't remember Will ever doing that, and Sam is the bloody captain," she said. Emily just hummed in response. 

"What's  wrong, Emmy?" she asked. "I think he just looked at me," she said. "Of course, he looked at you. He was sitting right across you," Gwyn said. "No, G the look, the look of love," she said. 'Well, he should he is your boyfriend he always looks at you like that. He is in love with you and speaking about boyfriends and love, Isabel wants yours, " she said.

Emily looked at Gwyn, her noodles dangling from her mouth, "firstly you are disgusting, secondly Will wants you back and Isabel wants Sam back, what are you going to do" she said. "I think that worked out fine. Our exes want us back," she said, looking at her noodles. "What are you talking about? Your ex wanting you back is bad, very bad. When your boyfriend's ex-girlfriend is a bitch," she said.

Emily smiled, everything was going according to plan but her mind kept going back to  Sam, she blamed it on the overthinking and laid her head on Gwyn's shoulder, "you will be fine," she said. "I know" she hugged Gwyn.

For the next days, Sam snuck in, somedays he would talk to her, somedays he would read her stories from her novels, and some days he would strum his guitar until she slept. Neither of them spoke about that moment, but Emily couldn't help but notice something between them seemed to change. There was a sudden shift, for better or for worse, she had no clue.