Falling for you

JACOB'S CONFESSION

In the cafeteria...

"What’s been going on with you these days? I heard the whole campus is talking about how Jacob defended you from bullies. I told you to stay away from him! It’s up to you, but I’ve warned you," Alex said with concern while eating his snacks in the cafeteria.

Ruth just smiled at Alex’s words, knowing that Jacob was a good person, not like what everyone said.

"Yeah, and he's just defending me. He’s like my friend whenever someone bullies me. And who is this Kaye everyone’s talking about?" she asked.

Alex paused from eating, looked at Ruth, and said, "She’s Jacob’s rumored girlfriend."

Ruth was surprised by what Alex said. No wonder so many people were annoyed with her when Jacob approached her—he apparently had a girlfriend.

"So, what now? I told you to stay away from him," Alex warned her.

Ruth remained silent and thoughtful.

"Where is this Kaye anyway? Why haven’t I seen her?" she asked Alex.

Alex smirked and replied, "She’s abroad for some reason. We don’t really know why, but some say she’s just cooling off."

"Wow, she’s really something, going abroad just to cool off," Ruth laughed.

Alex laughed and added, "Well, she is rich."

They continued eating.

...

Back in the classroom, Ruth saw Jacob sitting and looking at her. When she looked around, she noticed her classmates glaring at her. She walked in with her head down, avoiding their stares and trying not to look at Jacob.

There was no teacher in their class, and everyone was just talking among themselves. Until...

One of the girls, who was also one of Ruth’s bullies, shouted, "Ahhh! Kaye is coming back!"

Some cheered happily, while others remained silent, unsure why they should celebrate the return of someone like her.

"So she's coming back?" Ruth said to herself, glancing at Jacob from behind.

Jacob heard them but ignored their excitement, focusing on reading a book. He thought he needed to talk to Ruth, especially since Kaye was returning.

Then Jacob’s friends entered the room.

"Jacob!" they called, approaching him as he sat reading.

Jacob looked at them and asked, "What do you want now?"

They laughed and said, "Nothing, we’re just visiting."

One of his friends, who admired Ruth, noticed her quietly sitting behind Jacob.

"Hey? Miss? How are you?" he said, smiling at Ruth.

Ruth looked up and saw him smiling.

She smiled back and replied, "I'm fine."

He smiled again, pleased she acknowledged him. Jacob noticed his friend getting close to Ruth and quickly moved back so his friend couldn’t approach her.

Jacob moved closer to Ruth. "Don’t bother her," he told his friend.

His friend got annoyed but didn’t push it and stayed quiet.

Ruth wondered why Jacob moved his chair in front of her.

"Well, we heard Kaye is coming back?" one friend asked.

Jacob sighed and replied, "So what?"

His friends laughed and said, "What’s gotten into her that she decided to come back? Maybe you miss each other?"

Jacob glanced at Ruth, who was reading with her head down, but he knew she was listening. He spoke up, "Cut it out! I don’t know why she’s coming back! But it’s up to her because she lives here anyway."

Then the girl who bullied Ruth earlier, a friend of Kaye, spoke up. "She’s coming back because her spot has been empty for too long. She’s afraid someone might take it from her!" she said, staring at Ruth.

Ruth didn’t react because she wasn’t guilty; she hadn’t done anything wrong. It was up to them what they thought of her. At least her conscience was clear, and she wanted to avoid Jacob for her peace of mind.

But Jacob defended her. "Why? What spot does she have here at the university, Jean?" Jacob said, giving Jean a serious look.

Jacob’s friend stayed silent. Jean didn’t respond and left where Jacob, his friend, and Ruth were. Because of the noise Jacob’s friends made and the relentless teasing from her female classmates who were also friends with Kaye, Ruth decided to leave and get some fresh air on the building's fourth floor.

"Hey? Where are you going, Miss?" one of Jacob’s friends joked when they saw Ruth stand up and leave.

Jacob just stared at her as she left the room. He knew she felt disrespected by her classmates, which made him angry. He approached Jean as his friends and classmates watched.

He went up to Jean and grabbed her arm. "Next time, know your place. You have no right to talk to me! What if I tell my dad to fire your dad from our company, so you lose your livelihood and get expelled from here!" Jacob warned Jean.

Jean was terrified and couldn’t look Jacob in the eye, feeling the pain of his grip on her arm. "I’m sorry, Jacob."

Jacob let go of her, and Jean left quickly. Jacob then went after Ruth.

On the fourth floor...

"The air is so fresh here," Jacob said to Ruth, who was gazing at the city view from the building.

Ruth turned to look at Jacob as he approached her. She wanted to respond, but she remembered she should be avoiding Jacob for her safety.

"I want to apologize for what Jean said earlier. Don’t worry, I’ve handled it, and it’s all clear now. She won’t dare speak to you like that again, Ruth," he assured her, wanting to make her feel better.

But still, Jacob got no response. He felt she might be upset by what Jean said.

"I hope you’re not mad," he said.

Jacob noticed Ruth was about to leave, so he quickly grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks.

Holding Ruth’s arm, he asked, "Are you mad at me?"

Ruth was speechless and startled by Jacob’s touch on her arm.

Gently pulling her arm free, Ruth faced Jacob and said, "I’m not mad at you, Jacob. I just want to be alone."

Ruth stepped away, and Jacob continued to follow her. Even though he didn’t want to, he couldn’t help himself. Frustrated, Ruth said, "Can you stay away from me! Please, stay away from me, and don’t follow me, please!"

"I’m sorry, Ruth," he apologized.

"Jacob, maybe we should just ignore each other. If we run into each other, let’s pretend we don’t know each other," she explained.

Jacob sighed and said, "Now, Ruth? Now that I’ve started to like you? That’s what I did at first, but I don’t want you to get hurt because of me! But I can’t do it!" Jacob said, frustrated, showing his disappointment.

Ruth was shocked by Jacob’s confession. "W-What did you say?"

"Yes, Ruth! I like you!" he said.

They stared at each other for a few minutes, and then Jacob moved closer to Ruth, who was looking at him, visibly confused and in disbelief.

Jacob got close to her and said, "I like you, Ruth," repeating himself.

"But—" Ruth didn’t finish her sentence as Jacob kissed her on the lips.

Ruth’s eyes widened, and she froze. After kissing her, Jacob spoke.

"I want you to accept my confession, Ruth. I want you to be mine. I want you to like me too," Jacob said, sincerely looking at her.

With everything Jacob had done and the times they spent together, Ruth couldn’t help falling for someone as determined as him. Ruth fell in love with him the first time he saved her from getting hurt by the chair and during the incidents that followed. She felt being with him was priceless. Unable to contain her feelings, Ruth confessed as well.

"I like you too, Jacob. Since the first time we met, till now... I love you," she confessed, holding his hands.

Jacob smiled upon hearing they felt the same way about each other. At that moment, they hugged, and Jacob started courting her, wanting to make things right for her.