CHAPTER 1

Her date had just dropped her back home and if truth be said, she did have fun, so she decided to reward him with a classic 'after date' peck on his lips. The peck was soon deepening into something more when she suddenly had the urge to open her eyes, well more like trying to look beyond her date as she felt someone was staring at them. And that was her mistake, because the moment she caught the sight of a swiftly fleeting figure in her peripheral vision, her kiss floundered so bad that the guy was trying to chase her lips and her lips were almost on his chin! But thankfully all her date got was the idea that maybe she had just too much to drink, so he said a sweet goodbye and left her for the night.

Amy just tried her best to act nonchalant and waved him goodbye and just waited till he was out of sight to dial a very familiar number. The ring went and nobody picked it up. Since it was a mobile number she was trying, she was sure the person was ignoring her call purposely, so she decided to fire a message instead.

Message 1

I saw you.

We need to talk.

I'm waiting outside my house.

Message 2

Now Jonah!

After sending the messages she was waiting impatiently on her doorstep for Jonah to come back. She didn't exactly know what she wanted to talk but just that it was high time they talked something regarding all the new revelations in their life. So the first thing she expected to do when she saw Jonah now was to kind of yell at him for some reason, or actually no reason but the moment he actually came into sight slowly walking towards her house with bowed head and what seemed to be a bottle of wine in his hand all she felt was she felt a wave of sympathy… The guy didn't really know… The whole truth about her having a crush on him was really like a 'Breaking news' for the poor guy, so she won't actually blame him… But then she could and would surely blame him for deciding to ignore the truth even after he heard it right from the horse's mouth and still decide to behave as if it actually didn't matter to him. And what's worse was that he instead of facing the whole situation like adults, he had decided to move in with that girl… What's her name? Ah yeah, Kelly! So yeah she shouldn't be feeling very charitable towards him ideally speaking, but his sad profile in the dark did make her heart a slight mush for him… It looked as if he badly needed a hug right now…

Jonah finally reached the stairs and dared to look up and met directly with her impatient eyes. He felt a sense a shame…He didn't want to stare at her kissing 'another' guy for God's sake! All he wanted to do was meet her and have a heart to heart with her. But only when he reached her house, he saw her getting down from someone's car and that said someone accompanying her to her doorstep. And as he was unconsciously praying that they shouldn't kiss, the kissed! And just as he thought it was just going to be a little peck, they started to make out full-fledgedly right in front of his eyes! He was too shocked to react, let alone move, it was like his brain had become completely frozen! Well, that was until she looked straight at him, right in the middle of that horror of a kiss and immediately his 'fight or flight' hormone set in and he fled like a deer! But like always, he was never the person whom the lady luck favoured and so here he was, looking into those accusing eyes again…

So now he decided that instead of making the situation more worse he should explain what had happened plain and simple… But the moment he opened his mouth, he said this instead... "Kelly and I broke up."

Amy who was already feeling that he needed a hug, hugged him sincerely and said," Oh God Jonah! I'm so sorry... Is that why you are looking so miserable? And you brought wine so you wanted to hang out with someone and forget about it? Aww I'm sorry if I sounded rude in my messages. Ok now come in will you?" Saying she ushered him into her house.

He didn't technically lie because he had actually broken up with Kelly earlier that day, but the reason he broke up was the person standing in front of him. The truth had finally dawned on him yesterday when he was playing house with Kelly because she had insisted they decide where they would put their furniture if they were going to share a living space together. Jonah had always thought it would happen naturally if at all one day he decided to live in with someone because till now the only serious relationship he had was in his college and they just shared their dorm, so that didn't actually count as living together in strict terms. So when he had inadvertently asked Kelly to move in together he didn't actually know what he was getting into.

Kelly had discussed her plans in so much detail that he was forced to give his inputs occasionally even as the seriousness of what he had done in the spur of the moment was dawning on him. He was slowly coming to terms with the literally life changing news that Amy, the very Amy whom he had been crushing on from the very first day of joining Cloud 9, had a crush on him too! Oh My God! Now if that wasn't life changing news, what the hell was?! But then he saw Kelly excitedly drawing up places on the store floor to place their future furniture, he realised what he had done, he had just blown up the only chance that he ever had with Amy! He felt so heartbroken all of a sudden that it must have reflected on his face because Kelly had immediately stopped her imaginary interior designing and said in a low voice that they could decide the rest of it tomorrow.

And that was yesterday and today right as their shift was getting over, she had clearly told him that she would want to move in only with someone whose face lights up on the prospect of living with her and not the person who face looked as crestfallen as his was yesterday. But he, Jonah instead of feeling miserable as he should have been on his break up was instead elated that his misery was finally over in no uncertain terms… He was so happy that she broke up with him because he was sure that he would never have the heart to actually break up with Kelly just after he had asked her to move in with him. He was so madly happy that he even insensitively thanked her! She had given him a painful look after hearing his 'thank you' and said, "You look so happy now that it is more insulting than your 'Thank you' actually... But it's the fact that you look so happy, actually more happy than I have ever seen you since I started working here, that tells me it's a good thing that I broke up with you when I did. I will now wait for someone who lights up like you do for her… Now go! Don't mess it up with her!"

Now all he could think as he sat on Amy's couch that night while she was getting the glasses for the wine he brought was Kelly's words- "Don't mess it up with her!"

TBC