HOLLOWED: A Campus Love Story

The genesis of it all

We were lying together on his worn and aged student bed, its onceplush surface now faded and stained.As we gazed at each other, his eyes locking onto mine with a spark,he asked a gentle question, his voice laced with hesitation,can I kiss you?"I was taken aback, and a burst of laughter escaped my lips as I wondered if I had misheard him. But his unwavering gaze told me otherwise.he stared deeply into my soul I met his gaze, my curiosity piqued, and asked, "Why?" The single word hung in the air, a prompt for him to reveal the thoughts behind his unexpected question. He remained silent, his expression unreadable, and didn't respond to my inquiry. Taking his lack of answer as a cue, I firmly told him, "You can't kiss me." He let out a soft sigh, his shoulders sagging slightly, and shifted away from me. Reaching for his phone, he began to scroll through it, his eyes fixed on the screen as he created a palpable distance between us. I lay back down, my mind racing with unanswered questions, but he remained distracted, his fingers scrolling mindlessly through his phone. The silence between us grew thicker, heavy with unspoken words, as I waited in vain for some explanation, some acknowledgment, but he seemed lost in his own world. I inched closer to him, seeking a resolution to the awkward silence, and he finally looked up, his eyes locking onto mine. I pressed him for answers, asking, "What will happen after you kiss me?" His gaze turned enigmatic, and he stared at me with an unnerving intensity. Then, with a hint of mischief, he replied, "There's only one way to find out."I swallowed hard, feeling a shiver run down my spine as he gazed at me with an unbridled hunger, his eyes fixed on my lips. I instinctively created some distance between us, my heart racing with a mix of fear and discomfort. "I have a boyfriend," I reminded him, my voice firm but laced with a hint of nervousness. It was a fact he was well aware of, and I hoped it would serve as a stark reminder of the boundaries he shouldn't cross. Undeterred, he inched closer to me, his eyes burning with an unrelenting intensity. "It doesn't matter," he whispered, his breath tickling my skin. "It's just one kiss," he coaxed, his voice low and persuasive, as if the simplicity of the act would somehow justify the betrayal. I averted my gaze, trying to escape the moment, but he gently pulled me closer, his lips brushing against mine. The sudden contact took me aback, but his lips were surprisingly soft, and before I knew it, I was kissing him back. As our lips moved in tandem, my mind raced with conflicting thoughts: guilt, excitement, and the nagging reminder of my boyfriend, all swirling together in a tangled mess.