summer in the city 「 s.stan 」

DAY 9

— AUGUST 9TH —

After your date with Sebastian, you were less concerned about your growing feelings for him. Well, sure – you knew it would still hurt when you had to leave at the end of the month, but you weren't going to deliberately stop yourself from falling for him. Especially when you were almost positive that he might actually like you back.

Of course, with Allie being your absolute best friend, you knew that you should tell her straight away. You wanted to tell Sophia and Luca too, but you decided that it was best to wait for a while before letting everybody know.

As soon as you were dressed, you opened FaceTime and arranged to meet Allie in a few minutes at one of your favourite coffee shops, a small, family owned business in the outskirts of the city.

When you kneeled down to tie your shoelaces by the front door, a hand on your shoulder startled you. With a squeak, you toppled sideways and ended up in an ungrateful heap on the floor. You bumped your elbow, which was a little painful, but the sound of Sebastian's laughter was enough to put a bright smile on your face.

"Morning, darling."

"Hi," you muttered, definitely blushing at the new nickname – somehow, he managed to come up with a new pet name for you every single day, and you loved it.

"You're going out?" he asked. When you nodded, he pouted adorably. "But you'll be back later, right? We could... I mean, I just wanna spend time with you, y'know?"

You stood up and tossed your bag over your shoulder, before pulling Sebastian into a hug – he was too cute and you just couldn't resist. Subconsciously, he rocked you back and forth for a few seconds before pressing a kiss to your cheek, which only made you blush even harder.

"I won't be long, I just have to, uh, talk to Allie about something," you responded vaguely.

As you opened the door and stepped out, Sebastian unexpectedly plonked himself onto the floor. "Well, just know that I'm not moving from this spot until you get back."

You giggled, shaking your head at his childishness. "I guess I'd better make it quick then. Bye, Seb."

"Bye, dragă."

You had no idea what that meant, but hey, Sebastian speaking Romanian was hot, so you didn't question it. You just smiled and waved as you closed the door behind you, leaving him cross legged on the floor, somehow already missing you.

⋆

As soon as you were sitting opposite Allie with some kind of iced coffee in your hand, you took a deep breath, wasting no time.

"So, I need to tell you something."

Your best friend gasped dramatically, leaning forward with a sudden interest.

"You hooked up with someone at that party the other night, right? That's why you disappeared?"

"No, no," you scoffed, shaking your head rapidly. "Here's the thing..."

You proceeded to tell her everything – well, almost everything. You purposely left out the part about sleeping on the couch and going on a date with Sebastian because, well, what if things didn't work out? That would just be awkward.

"I knew it!" Allie practically screamed, which earned her a few dirty looks from other customers. "Didn't I tell you that he's your type?"

"I guess so," you admitted, sighing. "But Allie, I don't know what to do. I'm falling for him, and I leave at the end of the month. I might never see him again."

"You come here every year, idiot, of course you're gonna see him again. I'd say just go for it." She paused slightly and lowered her voice. "Have you told him about... y'know?"

"No," you blurted quickly, knowing exactly what she meant. "I can't, not yet. I–I don't want him to see me differently."

"He won't, he's not like that," Allie assured you. All you could do was duck your head, smiling sadly.

"That's what everyone says. And it's never true."