30 Days Of Us

Chapter 6 - New feelings

Both of them stiffened, stunned, eyes wide in disbelief, hearts hammering inside their chests. Seconds passed in silence, though it felt like an eternity. Then, as if waking from a trance, they abruptly pulled away from each other.

Lily touched her lips instinctively, her fingers trembling. Leo mirrored the motion, his brows furrowed in panic and confusion.

“I—I’m sorry! That was... I didn’t mean to. It was an accident,” Leo blurted, voice rushed. His face turned a deeper shade of red, and he couldn't meet her gaze.

Lily didn’t respond. Her heart was in chaos.

That was her first kiss. Or was it? Did an accidental kiss even count? Why was she reacting like this?

“Lil?” Leo called gently, trying to catch her eyes.

But Lily’s emotions swirled uncontrollably. She bit her lip, struggling to contain it all. First date. First kiss. And the worst part? They weren’t even dating. They weren’t anything.

She stood motionless, her expression wounded. And before Leo could say another word, the ride reached the bottom. Without warning, Lily darted out of the capsule and into the crowd.

“Lily, wai—!” Leo tried to catch her, but she was already gone.

He took off after her, scanning the crowd, desperate not to lose sight of her. Her figure moved quickly through the bustling walkways, a blur of denim and tears.

Lily didn’t know where she was going. She only knew she had to get away. The fun she’d had today… it only made everything harder. Her heart had started to bloom, and she wasn’t ready. Not for this. Not for him. Especially when they were just friends—just roommates.

She collapsed onto a bench tucked away from the crowd, wiping her eyes quickly with her sleeve.

I guess I just gotta hide this one-sided love, she thought bitterly.

But just as she was collecting herself, a group of four men approached.

“Hey there, cutie. You okay?” one asked with a crooked grin.

Lily glared. “I’m waiting for someone.”

“Oh? Didn’t look like it. We saw you crying. Want some company?”

“No,” Lily replied firmly, trying to keep her voice steady. “Please leave me alone.”

The men didn’t budge. One of them, clearly annoyed by her resistance, grabbed her arm.

“Come on, sweetheart. Let’s make you feel better.”

“Let go of me!” Lily snapped, struggling against his grip.

Another joined in, trying to pull her up from the bench. “Don’t be so difficult—”

Before he could finish, a fist slammed into his face. He stumbled back.

Leo.

Despite the loose hoodie and baggy jeans, his imposing frame and fierce glare made the group falter.

“You okay?” he asked Lily without taking his eyes off the men.

She nodded silently, heart pounding.

“Four against one, huh?” Leo muttered, cracking his knuckles with a half-smirk.

The men lunged, but Leo met them head-on. He dodged the first swing, delivered a knee to the gut of one guy, and elbowed another in the jaw. One managed to land a punch to Leo’s cheek, splitting the skin near his eye, but it only seemed to fuel him.

Lily could only watch, fists clenched at her chest, terrified but amazed. Please don’t get hurt…

Leo ducked another attack, then spun to knock two of them together, sending one to the ground unconscious. The last two, seeing their friends defeated, backed away. Grumbling threats under their breath, they dragged their fallen comrades and fled.

Leo stood there, bruised and breathing hard. A cut bled slightly above his left eye, and another was forming on his cheek.

But when he turned to Lily, the fire in his eyes softened. He rubbed the back of his head and walked toward her.

“You okay?” he asked again.

Lily chuckled softly despite herself. “You’re asking me that?” she said with a sniffle.

He grinned sheepishly.

“Sit,” she ordered, pointing to the bench.

“Yes, ma’am.” He sat without protest.

Lily reached into her bag and pulled out the ointment and bandages—thankfully still there from earlier.

“Bend down, you big oaf.”

Leo leaned closer with a playful groan. “Why does this feel like déjà vu?”

She carefully dabbed the ointment onto the cut above his brow, then his cheek. He winced.

“Ow.”

“Oh, stop being a baby,” Lily teased.

Finally, she hesitated, her hand hovering over his lips. Her heart raced again. The memory from the Ferris wheel flashed in her mind. Leo noticed the pause but said nothing.

She quickly applied the ointment, avoiding his gaze.

“There. All done,” she muttered, stuffing the things back into her bag.

She inhaled deeply before turning to him again. “Leo… thanks for saving me. And I’m sorry I ran.”

“No, Lily. I’m the one who’s sorry. I didn’t mean to— I was clumsy. I didn’t know you hated it that much…”

“I didn’t hate—” Lily stopped, her voice catching.

“I mean… it was an accident. I just panicked. I didn’t know what to say.”

Leo’s expression changed, eyes lighting up with something unspoken.

“So… you didn’t mind it was me?” he asked softly.

“What— No! I mean… I just… it was my first kiss and I didn’t even know if it counts as a kiss,” she rambled, cheeks flushing.

Leo leaned in and, to her surprise, pulled her into a hug. “I really thought you hated me…”

Lily stiffened at first, then slowly relaxed in his arms. When he pulled away, she blinked in surprise.

“I’m sorry I stole your first kiss,” Leo said, eyes serious. “But if you want… I can give you a proper one.”

His hand brushed lightly against her hair as he held her gaze.

Lily’s heart almost stopped. But her panic overtook her.

“You jerk!” she shouted, punching him square in the stomach.

Leo doubled over, groaning. “Okay… I deserved that.”

She stood and turned away, then glanced back with a pout. “Dinner’s on me. Hurry before I change my mind.”

Leo brightened instantly. “Okay!”

As he stood up, still rubbing his stomach, he whispered to himself, “I did want that kiss though…”

---

Lily’s Inner Monologue – Late that Night

I buried my face into the pillow, groaning softly.

What. A. Day.

Who knew a single amusement park trip could stir up this much emotional damage?

I mean, seriously… What even was that Ferris wheel moment?

Our lips touched. Accidentally. Sure. But it still happened. His lips brushed against mine. And my heart—ugh. It felt like it was going to leap out of my chest.

It was supposed to be a fun day out. A simple, friendly date. No strings. Just two roommates spending time together. But now?

Now I can’t stop thinking about his stupid face.

His stupid soft voice. His stupid muscular everything.

And that hug… that hug ruined me.

Why’d he have to go and be so gentle after beating up four grown men?

And why did my heart skip when he said, “I thought you hated me”?

Why did it flutter when he offered me a proper first kiss?

It was just a tease, right?

He was joking. He always does that—says sweet things with that annoying smirk. Like it means nothing. But the way he looked at me today… it didn’t feel like nothing.

Ugh, this is a mess.

He’s my roommate. My professor, for crying out loud. We’re not supposed to be having accidental kisses and weird moments of longing and violent rescue scenes straight out of a w*****d story.

And I… I can’t fall for him.

Except—I already am.

He’s my first everything. First friend here. First person to really see me, I think. First date. First kiss. And somehow, the first person to make my heart feel like it’s going to break before anything even begins.

But no. No, Lily. You have to calm down. Don’t overthink. Don’t fall any deeper.

Because even if he was being real for a second back there…

We’re still nothing. Just roommates. Just friends.

And I’m the only one catching feelings.

So I’ll just keep it to myself.

Hide the ache. Smile like nothing happened.

I’ll play it cool.

…If only my heart would stop doing backflips every time he looks at me.