I know it was a long wait but I spent so much time preparing this chapter between schoolwork to make sure that it met my standards, and hopefully it will meet yours also. I think by the end of this chapter you'll be over the moon. Please enjoy!

Chapter 21: Moment of Truth

Raquél

I anxiously clutched my overnight bag against my chest as my mother and I approached Eva's front door. For most of that afternoon I questioned why I was so nervous about sleeping over at my best friend's house, and so did my mother. She stopped me before my finger could connect with the doorbell.

"Before you go inside, just wait a minute… Eva and Felicia are your friends. You should be excited about this sleepover, baby! You're going to love staying up late and playing crazy games; and by now you should be used to it. Whenever Nayna and auntie come to visit, you girls sleep in the same bed with no problem," she compared.

"I know, Mami, but it's not really the same. She's my cousin, and she only slept over twice when she came to visit. This is different."

"In what way, Raquél? Just because you're not related to them, it doesn't mean that they're not going to be uncomfortable sleeping in the same bed as you or anything like that."

"But I am excited, Mami. And it's not because of that, it's because—"

Just then, the door swung open and a pair of arms hooked around my shoulders. Eva squealed in excitement as she pulled me into the foyer.

"You made it! This is going to be a great night!"

"Just in case it wasn't obvious enough," Felicia laughed while placing a kiss against my cheek.

"Hi Ms. Montez! My parents are getting ready to leave now. They're in the living room if you'd like to meet them. You should come and meet them too, Raquél," she said keenly.

Our third guest made his appearance as he came skidding around the corner, his paws clicking against the floor. I eagerly opened my arms to the white Maltese, letting him jump onto my lap.

"Oh, my precious Papi! You're so sweet," I cooed as he licked my face.

A woman with straight black hair soon emerged pulling a suitcase behind her, and smiled warmly at us. Eva had the same bright features and the same cheerful grin as her mother.

"Hello, you must be Raquél. It's great to meet you. I'm Gracie," she said to me before giving me a gentle hug.

"And this is her mother... Aunty Gabi!" Eva giggled.

"Good evening, Gracie. I'm Gabriella, and I just wanted to say that your daughter and Felicia are two of the most wonderful girls I've ever met," my mother commented as they exchanged a peck on each cheek.

"Well, thank you. Eva's also told me a lot about Raquél. I think that she was such a godsend for my daughter. They both were."

My anxiety had completely dissipated once my best friends surrounded me in a tight embrace. "And that's why we love her," Felicia beamed.

Moments later Eva's father, who was also enthusiastic in character, introduced himself before reminding his wife, "Graciela, check-in time is in an hour. We'd better get going."

"I think it's also time for me to head out. I've got a date tonight," my mother replied.

After giving out kisses and individual "I love you's", the adults quickly filed out the front door.

Here goes nothing, I said to myself as the girls led me upstairs.

"So, as soon as you get settled we can order pizza or Chinese—anything you want, and then we can watch a movie or play a game. Sounds good, hon'?"

"Okay," I replied, growing anxious because I was soon expected to change my clothes in front of them.

Stop thinking that way! They're not going to judge you, my mind kept reminding me.

Eva quickly rest my bag on the edge of the bed and pulled out my Hello Kitty pajama set (in profile).

"Ohh, these are cute. Where'd you get them?" she asked.

"My Abuelita bought it for me, like, two years ago plus a makeup chest. I haven't even opened that one yet."

"Oh my God, my grandma would have a heart attack if I even wore something like that around her. She hates when I show off my legs," Felicia said.

They didn't seem to notice that I was in my underwear as we burst into giggles. I quickly slipped into the pajamas and put my clothes away.

"Not even jean shorts?"

"Well, I can wear shorts around her but then she'd keep tugging them lower saying, '¡Hombres están mirando a ti! They're looking at your legs!'" she imitated her grandmother, and emphasized her point by tugging at Eva's pant leg.

"My grandfather's the same way with my dimples. If he sees them he literally tries to tuck my shirt into my pants to hide them. He doesn't have to worry, though. I hate them," I mumbled while putting my coat away.

"I can tell... I'd hate them too if boys were getting 'reactions' just by seeing them. We can exclude Quique in this case because he's not a creep; he's in love."

"Speaking of Enriqué, how are things going with our cousin?" Eva questioned teasingly.

"Great. He met the rest of my family at my cousin's party last weekend, and they really like him."

"What about your feelings? I'm sure by now you must be falling in love."

"Well..." I sighed, lying across the bed. "I've never been this happy in my life. When I'm him I feel so safe, and I know it's because he'll never hurt me... I think I'm in love. But I'm just still not ready to tell him."

"You think you're in love?" Felicia countered skeptically.

"No... I am in love. And I'm just scared to death because I've never said 'I love you' to anyone outside my family. Well, except for Troy. He's not related to me but I love him as a father figure," I replied.

The girls exchanged worried glances before nodding to each other in deliberation.

"It's easy to fall in love when a new family member comes along or a best friend, but that's because there are different ways to fall in love. Like you said, you fell in love with Troy but obviously not in a romantic way. You love him like you would a father, right?"

"Right. And I love you and Eva because you're like my sisters," I said with ease.

"Aww! We love you too, honey. But I don't think I heard you correctly... What did you say?"

I knew that Felicia was trying to get me used to the idea of expressing my true feelings, and I was prepared to conquer any trick she planned to carry out.

"I love you, Felicia. I love you, Eva," I couldn't help but giggle.

There was no anxiety or pressure I felt telling my friends how much I cared about them, yet the thought of saying the same to Enriqué caused my heart to race with panic.

"Why do you love us?" Eva then challenged.

"Because—"

"Uh-uh! We need a full explanation."

"Well, you're so easy to talk to. I don't feel like I'm being judged or betrayed, and my insecurities completely disappear. It usually takes me a long time to trust someone, but even though I've known you for a few weeks it's like I've known you forever. You make me happy. That's why I love you."

As I breathed a sigh of relief, Felicia gave my upper arm a gentle pat.

"If you tell Enriqué exactly what you said to us, you'll have nothing else to say. He'll know that you mean it with all your heart."

We fell silent as a faint knock from downstairs echoed throughout the house. Our bodies frozen with angst, we listened to the click of a lock that followed, which hardly alleviated our fears. We found it strange that not even the dog barked.

"Is that Auntie?" Felicia asked with a slight whisper.

"No… She would've called to let us know if they were coming back. Who else would have a key to my house?" Eva fathomed shrugging.

Eva and I watched in amusement as Felicia approached the top of the stairs and placed her hands on her hips.

"You know, the next time you scare us like that I'm gonna call the police on you," she said.

"Just let me see my girlfriend," I heard the voice carry through the hallway.

I smiled. My boyfriend had come to see me.

Without realizing that I was clad in nothing but a pair of childish pajamas, I eagerly dashed downstairs and into Enriqué's arms. My friends looked on in admiration as he lifted me off the floor and spun me around. He then treated me with a peck to the lips.

"How are you, Sweetheart? I missed you."

"I missed you, too, but what are you doing here? I thought you had a game," I replied.

"I..."

Suddenly, he turned his attention toward the staircase and sent his cousins a plain stare. They knew exactly what he meant. Slowly, they began to back up the stairs. Enriqué removed his coat before leading me into the living room, where we cuddled on the couch.

"The game was canceled because someone from the away team got food poisoning. So they had to forfeit. Personally, I'm glad we don't have to play tonight. I wanted see you before I leave for Rochester tomorrow," he explained.

"Another game?"

"Yep. I'm going to be gone for the entire weekend, which means that I have only..." He paused to observe the clock on the wall. "... Fifteen minutes to spend with you. And all I want to do is talk my beautiful girl."

"Okay, then. What about?"

His brown eyes gleamed with affection as he grinned, "Anything."

"So, um, Valentine's Day is coming up," I awkwardly brought up.

"Yeah, I'd like to take you out somewhere but it has to be a surprise. I want you to remember this Valentine's Day," Enriqué said, and pressed his lips against my forehead.

I rest my head against his chest and sighed.

"I'm glad you want to do that for me... I've always felt lonely on Valentine's Day. I grew up hating it because it seemed like everyone had a Valentine but me. But this year I have you, and maybe for once I'll feel like someone cares."

"Well, you know what? I'm not going to feel lonely either," he whispered in my ear. "You're going to receive the biggest surprise of your life this Valentine's Day."

Within seconds, Enriqué and I became caught up in a long, passionate kissing session. Our hands caressed while our tongues playfully wrestled, and during those plodding seconds I felt the love I had for him growing stronger. No longer did I "think" that I was in love; I knew that I was in love with Enriqué.

Finally out of breath, we slowly let our lips separate and coyly observed each other's melted gazes. Reluctantly, Enriqué announced that he had to return home to pack for the weekend.

"I'm going to miss you," I replied with the greatest pang of dismay.

My boyfriend left me blushing furiously at the bottom of the stairs after giving me a passionate departing kiss.

"Good night, baby girl," he said huskily, and winked at me.

I bit my bottom lip to prevent a flurry of giggles from escaping.

"Night."

"By the way..." he trailed off as he opened the front door. "Cute pajamas."

That was when I glanced down and found the iconic kitten stretching down my abdomen. Unable to contain my mirth, I ran up the stairs squealing with laughter.

From then on I was confident that when the moment of truth arrived, I would be ready to handle the unexpected.

Valentine's Day

Raquél

That morning as I strolled into the school, I anticipated the moment when my boyfriend would show up with a single rose, chocolates or a teddy bear. But I was far from prepared to receive my first surprise of that eventful day. Although Valentine's Day wasn't officially until Saturday, the school still eagerly promoted the holiday in advance.

There was no gym class that day, and I wasn't going to be with Enriqué until later that day.

As I sat in homeroom finishing my Trigonometry homework, students around me broke out in astonished gasps once a volunteer pushed a cart carrying a Valentine's Day Sweetheart Package into the room. The package included one dozen freshly cut red roses and one dozen cream roses; a five foot tall white teddy bear; a large heart-shaped box of assorted chocolates with a basket full of candy; and five balloons with the words "Be Mine" printed across them.

It was an event that went on in my school that determined whose boyfriend cared for them the most on Valentine's Day. Also, it was quite expensive.

Weeks ago, Maya kept bragging that she had received the Sweetheart package for two years in a row. It was clear that as a junior, she expected to receive the same gift that year. But the cart that I spotted being pushed into her homeroom had a few cards, roses and small teddy bears.

"I have a special delivery for someone!"

Lynn, who was also in my homeroom, stood up to receive her assumed prize. Sadly, she was still unaware that she was being betrayed by Mike and Maya.

"I guess this one's for me… Make way, losers," she responded cockily while strolling to the front of the room.

The girl glanced down at the card on the package and frowned.

"Actually, this isn't for you. This one is yours."

Lynn exclaimed in outrage as she was handed a single bag of candy.

"What the hell? Then who does that belong to?"

Seemingly fighting the urge to laugh, the girl replied, "It's for Raquél."

My jaw dropped, letting a stunned gasp escape.

"Wh-what?"

"It's for you, from Enriqué."

"Ugh, her? Why the fuck would he do that for her?" Lynn muttered as she stomped back to her seat.

"Me?" I said, unsure if my ears had deceived me.

"Yeah, this is for you. Come and read the card," the girl chuckled slightly.

Numb with disbelief, I stood up from my seat and took the card from her hands to read the message.

"Por mi cariño…

Esla magia cada vez que tenemos unos de otros, cada vez que nos abrace, y cada vez que nos besamos. Siento la piel de gallinade nuevo. No quiero dejarte ir por miedo a perder que, por lo que sólo espera un poco más estrecha cada día, negándose a dejar ir. Usted nunca lo sabrá el calor que siento dentro de mí cuando estoy con ti. Eres todo lo que siempre quiso tener. Tú eres mi corazón, mi alma, mi tesoro, mi hoy, mi mañana, mi todo, mi siempre (For my Sweetheart… It's magic each time we hold each other, each time we cuddle, and each time we kiss. I feel goosebumps all over again. I never want to let you go for fear of losing you, so I just hold on a little bit tighter each day, refusing to let go. You will never know the warmth I feel inside me when I'm with you. You're all I ever wanted. You are my heart, my soul, my treasure, my today, my tomorrow, my everything, my forever)."

This package wasn't something for Enriqué to show off to everyone at school, but to show me just how much he cared. Just then, my boyfriend appeared in the doorway and sent me a wave. Eagerly, I dropped the card and ran into his arms.

"You just think you're so smooth, don't you?" I giggled, wrapping my arms around him as he pressed a kiss to my lips. "Thank you for the gift."

"I'm glad you love it. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. By the end of the day, you'll be happier than you've ever been."

~RMCR~

Later That Day

That afternoon as Enriqué and I quickly filed into English class, my nerves returned to torment me because I knew that I had to read my poem in front of the class.

Before we took our own seats, he pressed his lips against my temple and whispered, "Good luck. You'll do great."

"Aw, thank you, Quique. Good luck to you, too."

Now equipped with the confidence boost I desperately needed, I sat and reviewed my poem as more students began to file into the room. Soon Mrs. Brown appeared, hastily clapping her hands together.

"Okay, class! Settle down; we don't have much time!" she called aloud.

Although I should have grown used to the threatening glares I received from the Superiors on a daily basis, intimidation continued to strike me as I found the hate in their eyes.

"What's the Do Now, Mrs. Brown?" a female student asked, which meant that she was too lazy to read the whiteboard.

"You shouldn't be asking me. It's right in front of you," my teacher replied while taking attendance. "Now kids, take out your Valentine poems and we'll go in alphabetical order."

A loud, disgruntled groan echoed throughout the room, namely Mike because he knew that he was going to be first.

"Mr. Acosta... Why don't you start us off? I'm sure you've memorized it enough since printing it out in the library this morning."

Her sarcastic reply incited a chorus of "ooh's" as Mike scooted towards the front of the room muttering, "Bitch."

As he began his poem with a slew of mispronounced words, I decided not to give myself a headache by mentally correcting every last mistake. Just two months before, Enriqué had been reading exactly like the Superiors and a few other students in that class, and I was proud to see the progress he'd made as a result of my tutoring.

The past few weeks had gone by so quickly, but I felt as though I'd spent an eternity with him. In such little time we had learned so much about each other: our fears, our hopes and dreams; our passions and hatreds. Now that I knew that Enriqué wanted me as more than a girlfriend, I wanted him as more than a boyfriend.

I was in love with him.

During the past 20 minutes, the period seemed to fly by in a blur until there were a few remaining students—including Enriqué and I—who needed to read their poems.

Maya was next, which meant that my turn was right around the corner.

Apparently, it still hadn't registered that Enriqué was in no way attracted to her, so we were not surprised to discover that the poem was not a romantic poem, but a poem about my boyfriend. While she recited the poorly fabricated lines, she occasionally glanced up to send a flirtatious grin to Enriqué, then shot me down with a menacing glare.

I supposed she'd created the poem just to humiliate me. But I was not at all concerned.

I had to hold back a giggle as he leaned close to my ear from behind and scoffed, "In your dreams, you psycho..."

Once the moving train wreck began to grind to a halt, Maya proudly turned in her poem to Mrs. Brown, who looked unimpressed.

"How did I do, Mrs. Brown? That's an A-plus, right?" she guessed confidently in that sickeningly sweet voice.

Perhaps she was a little too confident. Her drones then dutifully fed her ego by bursting into loud cheers and applause. But I knew as well as everyone else that Mrs. Brown had yet to deliver the bad news.

"Hmm, good effort. But it was supposed to be a Valentine's Day related poem, and not a poem about someone... You get half-credit."

Maya's mouth dropped in outrage as she let out a squeaky gasp, punching her fists downward.

"B-but that's not fair—!"

"Ms. Ramiréz, if you want to make an argument out of this, then I suggest you throw your tantrum in the office," she stated firmly.

Maya hushed immediately before stomping back to her seat in a huff. Uncertain whether I was going to be next, I frantically scanned the lines of my poem that were difficult to remember and braced myself for the inevitable.

"Next up, Ms. Richmond—I mean Ms. Richards, pardon me," she quickly corrected herself, which left my heart racing with near panic.

Gina's poem was significantly longer than the other poems, and to me she was a savior. Unfortunately, nothing lasted forever. My stomach churned as the class politely applauded once she was finished.

"Thank you, Gina. That was lovely... You're next, Raquél. Come on up."

Reluctantly, I grabbed my poem sheet and made my way towards the front of the room, being careful not to trip in my state of anxiety. The disdainful snickers from my tormentors had begun to whip at my back before I even had the chance to start.

Looking to my boyfriend for comfort, he sent me a smile of reassurance to lend encouragement.

"It's okay; ignore them," he mouthed.

As my nerves seemed to consume my every thought, I forgot how to start.

"Say the name of the poem first, dear," Mrs. Brown coached gently.

"Um, the name of my poem is 'Always.'"

"Great. Now, go ahead," she said, nodding in approval.

"The day you were born, the

whole world was blessed

These thoughts in my mind to you I must confess

The time has come for me to express my true feelings..."

I paused, taking my time to take another glance at my boyfriend. He leaned forward in anticipation, eager to hear the rest of my poem. Little did he know that I'd picked the poem partially because of my strong feelings for him.

"You are the center of my thoughts and the essence of my being

What you have brought me I never thought I could procure

The gift of comfort, with you I am secure

For you have lifted me up from a life filled with sorrow

And made me realize there is always a better tomorrow

It amazes me how someone can make me feel this way

I love you more and more with each passing day

You brighten my days and lift my spirits

I have felt this for so long and now I want you to hear it

So you may know the place you hold in my heart

You are always with me even when we're apart

I truly believe what we have is meant to be

Just open your heart and soon you shall see

What I am willing to do to keep a smile on your face

Just know that I'm here and will be always."

With my poem finally over with, I grinned bashfully as Enriqué clapped loudly over the light applause of the class.

"That was beautiful, Raquél. Great job, well executed!" Mrs. Brown praised, also clapping.

"Thank you."

"All right... Looks like we've got time for one more poem for today, and it's yours, Mr. Sanchez. Why don't you wrap us up for the day?"

Proud of myself, I made my way back to my desk once Enriqué stood up.

"That was amazing, Sweetheart," he whispered as he scooted past me.

It was evident that he was nervous about reading his poem, but it was the most flustered I had ever seen him. The paper in his hands trembled as if he was having a seizure, and for a moment, I thought that he was going to pass out under the pressure.

Just like I had done while reading my poem, he locked gazes with me and managed an anxious smile.

"The name of my poem is called, um, 'I Love You,'" he began while looking at the teacher, then down at his poem.

Around me, I heard the class leaning forward in curiosity, somehow knowing that my boyfriend wasn't going to disappoint. By the look in his eyes, I could tell that something was going to change both of our lives.

"Have you ever felt,

like you were holding a fragile heart,

That could break any second,

And then it shatters,

And you don't know how to fix it?

Then your world goes wild,

With everything spinning but you,

You stand still and stare at the moment,

Not knowing what to say,

Not even paying attention anymore.

You want to say something to help the moment,

But tears are saying enough.

I want to hold the pieces of your broken heart,

And put it back to one.

I hold you close,

Hoping you can forgive me,

For hurting you so badly,

I tell you I love you,

And it's far from a lie.

I cry on your chest,

Apologizing again and again

You finally pull me away and lift my face up towards yours,

I look into your eyes,

Wanting to turn away,

But I'm forced by love to keep looking.

And you say the three words I longed to hear...

I love you.

You wipe away the tears,

Leaning forward to place a kiss upon my lips,

And you pull me away,

Holding me close as you can,

You tell me once more at the same time I tell you..."

He glanced up from his poem, and looked me right in the eyes as if the universe had disappeared from his sight but me.

"'... I love you.'"

I gasped softly to myself just as the class also broke into gasps of confusion.

All eyes were on me, but I did not glance down in shame or blush furiously. My eyes remained locked on Enriqué's, wide with shock as I searched the deepest reaches of his soul for evidence of the love he proclaimed to me. There he stood at the front of the room, exposed and vulnerable after revealing his most secreted emotions. Etched in his gentle features was the silent plea for me to accept his love. Then I found the wholehearted truth behind his stark, chestnut gaze.

Enriqué loved me.

Unfortunately, the weight of the world was coming down on my head, because I knew that he expected me to love him back. But I still wasn't ready to express my love for him after just two months of dating.

Reality struck without warning, and the entire room seemed to jump as the awful silence was pierced by the shrill blare of the dismissal bell. Still captivated by the series of events, no one moved or applauded. In her efforts to ease the tension, Mrs. Brown awkwardly cleared her throat before reaching out to collect Enriqué's poem.

"Great poem, Mr. Sanchez. Very convincing," she said. "Well, then, we'll continue this on Monday. Have a great weekend, class and spend Valentine's Day wisely tomorrow."

Hoping to get out of the room before the ground threatened to swallow me, I shot out of my chair and rushed into the corridor before darting through the thick crowd of students. Meanwhile, I heard my boyfriend calling my name above the deafening chatter. I didn't know what was going through my mind or why I was running away, but I knew that I had to get home before I suffered a complete meltdown.

Knowing that my only means of escape was right around the corner, I dodged Enriqué's searching gaze until he gave up and went back to the classroom. Felicia and Eva were eagerly chatting as I frantically approached them.

"Oh, there you are, Raquél! We were just discussing weekend plans and... Oh, no, what's wrong, honey?" Eva asked in concern.

"I've got to get home now. I'll explain later, but please get me out of here before he comes," I said hastily, while pulling them towards the closest exit.

"Who?"

Before I could manage another exhausted reply, the sound of Enriqué's distant calls sent me running through the doors in fright. Without a second thought my friends guided me into the parking lot and into Felicia's car.

"Who are you running from?" she repeated as she started the car, pulling out of the parking space.

"Enriqué. When he was reading his poem in English he told me that he loved me through it. But I'm so scared, I-I don't know what to do! How do I respond to something like that?"

"Tell him that you love him, also. You can never go wrong with that."

"I know, but... what if I'm not ready to love him yet? I feel so guilty because I feel like I've broken his heart by running away. It's just too much for me," I explained anxiously, raking my fingers through my curls in panic.

"You are doing no such thing. If Quique really loves you, he'll respect that you're not ready and wait," Eva said.

Within fifteen minutes we had arrived at my house, searching for any signs of Enriqué. By that time, I was on the verge of tears.

"His car's not here, but he probably left the car and chased after us," Felicia theorized. "Anyway, let's get you inside. It's cold out here."

My friends escorted me into the complex, up the stairs and towards my apartment. My hands trembled so badly, I kept missing the keyhole as I tried to unlock the front door. Once inside, I dropped my things and breathed a sigh of relief.

The world and everything in it seemed to be spinning but me, and I found myself pacing back and forth in the foyer.

"Are you okay, honey? Do you need anything?" asked a voice I could hardly make out above my racing heartbeat.

"N-no, just—I think... I need to be alone," I stammered.

"Okay, we'll leave you alone. But don't panic, Raquél; I'm sure that everything will work out fine."

Felicia and Eva wrapped their arms around me to offer support. But as I watched them disappear into the corridor, I found myself confronted by the man who loved me.

At that moment, the very sight of Enriqué sent me reeling back against the wall in fear. Unable to escape, I became overwhelmed and burst into tears.

~RMCR~

Enriqué

I was not angry at Raquél for running away after last period. In fact, I was angry at myself for confessing my love for her in front of the class, thinking that she would say it back.

She had been through so much in so little time. I should've remained patient and respected her desire to take things slowly.

Now, I feared that I'd put our relationship in jeopardy.

Just as I caught my cousins stepping into the corridor of her apartment, the pure terror in her eyes instantly wracked me with guilt. Her back slid against the wall and slowly carried her down to the floor. As she sobbed, curled up in the corner, she brought her hands over her face to shield her tears.

"I'm sorry, Enriqué... Don't be mad at me," she whimpered.

"Mad? How could I ever be mad at you?" I questioned gently as I lifted her chin.

She let her gaze fall to the floor, unable to look into my eyes.

"But, I-I didn't—I ran away from you after you said..."

"Shh, don't worry about it, Sweetheart. It's okay; I understand. You're not ready," I whispered reassuringly.

Her petite body continued to tremble violently as I lifted her onto my lap.

"Everything that poem said... You picked it. Why?"

"I picked it because it defined all the things you went through before we started dating, and I felt that the things at the end of the poem were like a vision of how we were going to end up. I never intended to scare you, but I can't keep these feelings in my heart contained anymore. Right now, you're everything to me and, I don't know, I guess I rushed things with you because of those feelings," I explained.

My efforts to soothe Raquél seemed to work to my advantage, and she stopped mentally laying down the bricks to keep me out.

"Well, I knew for a while that you were falling in love with me. But when you looked me dead in the eyes and said it, I was so scared. I didn't know how to respond, so I ran until I thought that I could make sense of the situation. I know how much you care about me and that you'll do anything to protect me... But I thought that I was going to get hurt again. Sometimes people come into my life and earn my trust, then just when I think that I'm not going to lose them, they end up leaving my life forever. You make me feel amazing, Enriqué. And I don't want to lose you either."

I felt her fingers tighten around the material of my shirt as she began to sob again, afraid to let me go.

"Oh, no. I'm never going to leave you, Raquél. All my life I've been searching for something meaningful; something that would make me truly happy and make my life worth living. And it's you, Sweetheart. Nothing can stop how you make me feel. I love you... I mean that with all my heart," I said firmly, brushing my thumb beneath her tearful eyes. "And you don't have to say it back if you're not ready."

"But I'm scared. There's all these strong, rushing feelings coming all at once, and I've never experienced anything like this before. W-what if this isn't all that amazing as we thought and we both end up getting hurt in the end? I don't want to set myself up for heartbreak," she hiccupped.

"And you won't, Sweetheart... I'm scared, too. I'm nineteen, you're fourteen—what do we know about love, anyway? Relationships don't come with instruction manuals so we might as well try our best."

Raquél finally glanced up at me, her dulled emeralds unveiling the joy that remained hidden since that afternoon.

"You know that I care about you, Enriqué. These past few weeks have been the best of my life, and nothing can stop the feelings I get when you hold me or kiss me, or tell me that I'm perfect. You make me feel happy in ways I can't even explain and I'll never regret trusting you," she told me.

Just as I'd arrived at my moment of truth earlier that day, it seemed as though her moment was fast approaching.

Finally, Raquél uttered the words I'd been longing to hear since the day I laid eyes on her.

"I love you, Enriqué… I really do," she whispered, her breaths shuddering.

"Y-you, what?" I gasped.

"At first I was scared to tell you how I really felt because I thought that I would get hurt. But you proved to me that you were like no one else in this world, and because of you I never would've been able to accept myself. I'm more than ready to follow my heart. I love you."

Everything I had ever worked for, everything I'd ever dreamed of, and the years I spent searching for happiness finally paid off. Nothing to define how peaceful I felt knowing that our relationship had reached its most significant milestone.

Without another word, I captured her lips in a deep, impassioned kiss. I kissed her with all the love I kept pent up in my soul from the very day I realized she was the treasure I'd been looking for. Overjoyed, I picked my girlfriend off the floor and spun her around, reveling in the sound of her laugh.

"This is the best day of my life," I chuckled.

"Mine too... So far, at least."

So far. That only meant that we had much more memories to make as a couple. As long as we loved each other, there was nothing that could break us down.

In that moment as I held her, I really did believe that love conquered all.

I told you it would be emotional, and I have to say that this was one of my best chapters. If schoolwork doesn't swamp me too much I'll have the next chapter up as soon as I can. Also this is random but if you wanna see Raquél's pajamas, they're in my profile. Hope you enjoyed and tell me what you thought about this chapter. Thanks!