Chapter-3– Eden And Everything After
899 Words
After three long months of calls, voice notes, selfies, silly filters, and nights that blurred into mornings, Gia finally agreed to meet Noah.
It wasn’t easy.
She had almost said yes twice—once when he sent her a midnight voice note saying “I wish I could just teleport to you right now”, and another time when he video-called her in the middle of his chaotic afternoon, just to say, “Gia, I don’t want anyone else.”
But something in her always hesitated. Maybe it was fear, maybe it was her heart still unsure if he was real—if this whole thing was real.
They had fought too. Over late replies. Over mixed signals. Over her craving more attention and him not always realizing it. And each time he said he’d meet her, she backed out last minute. Her brain would scream “what if he’s not serious?” and her heart would shrink in confusion.
But everything changed the day she found out.
Noah was leaving for New York on August 12th.
For 4 months.
He dropped it casually in conversation, but it hit her like a storm. Her throat tightened. Her fingers froze mid-typing. She stared at the screen for minutes, reading his text over and over.
Suddenly, every missed plan, every unsaid word, every paused feeling began to ache.
And just like that, she texted him:
“Let’s meet. Tomorrow. 11th August.”
He replied within seconds.
“Are you sure?”
“No,” she typed, “but I want to.”
⸻
Gia reached the café first—Eden, a cozy place tucked in a quiet corner of the city, filled with wooden furniture, potted plants, and the soft hum of indie music.
She sat at a corner table by the window, clutching a small bouquet of roses and a pastry box she picked up on the way. She wore a cute floral black top, barely any makeup, and her heart pounding louder than the café’s playlist.
When Noah entered, she recognized him instantly. Black t-shirt, jeans, that same messy hair from his snaps. He looked around, caught her eyes—and smiled nervously.
She stood up slowly, unsure of what to do. He walked up, equally uncertain. For a second, they both hovered in awkward silence before he said, “Hi,” and offered his hand.
She shook it, warm and slightly trembling.
God, why does he smell so good? she thought.
They sat down beside each other, too close yet not close enough. After a pause, she handed him the pastry.
“Red velvet,” she said softly. “You said it’s your favorite.”
He looked surprised. “You remembered?”
“Of course,” she blushed.
Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny box.
“For you,” he said.
Inside it lay a delicate silver pendant, shaped like a small heart,
“I wanted you to have something to remember this day by.”
She smiled, eyes glassy. “You’re really leaving tomorrow?”
He nodded. “Flight’s at noon. But I couldn’t have left without meeting you.”
They talked—about everything and nothing. The first time they matched. How he used to screenshot her snaps just to look at her later. How she stalked his i********: highlights to see if he ever posted anything flirty.
They ordered pasta and coffee. Shared a slice of cheesecake. Their fingers brushed while passing the fork, sending tiny electric shocks up her spine.
Noah leaned in a little, teasing, “You know… all those nights we spent sexting and flirting, I didn’t imagine this much blushing when we finally met.”
She covered her face, laughing, “Stop it, you’ll make me run away.”
“I won’t let you,” he whispered, his hand slowly resting on her shoulder, lightly tracing the curve of her arm. Her skin tingled.
She didn’t pull away.
Later, his hand slipped lower, resting gently on her thigh under the table, his thumb rubbing slow circles. She gasped quietly, heart thundering.
“You okay?” he asked, his voice low.
Gia bit her lip. “Just… wasn’t expecting this much chemistry in real life.”
Noah smirked. “I was counting on it.”
They stayed there for over two hours, just soaking each other in. Every second felt like a countdown.
When it was time to leave, he insisted on dropping her home.
The bike ride was silent but heavy. Her hands rested lightly on his shoulders, her head almost brushing his back.
Outside her gate, they lingered. Neither wanting to say goodbye.
He leaned closer, brushing her hair aside, and pressed a soft kiss on her cheek. She looked up, kissed him back on his cheek—just a second longer.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“For what?”
“For not giving up.”
He held her hand one last time. “Text me when you reach in.”
She nodded, watching him ride away until he turned the corner.
The next day, he left for New York.
But something had changed.
They weren’t just texts and late-night calls anymore.
They were real.
And neither of them could forget the feeling of Eden. The flowers. The pendant. The pasta. The electricity.
The beginning of something that no distance could end.
- Writer
