You Had Me at "I Hate You"

"No... No... No..." I repeated to myself. Over and over...

I ran my hands through my shock of red hair. "No!"

It couldn't be! It just couldn't be!

The second I realize I love Lincoln... He leaves!

I strode purposefully towards the apartment door, but backed away in horror. This wasn't like me! I don't just randomly make decisions! I plan! I'm precise!

Harry Potter kept running around, getting tangled up in my feet as I raced back and forth from the dark comfort of my room to the looming apartment door.

My thought process went something like:

"I'm going to it! I'll chase after him! He's probably in that damned park! I can go and tell him that I'm-"
"Very sorry... But I don't love him. Also, with the new feelings on the table, it's not appropriate for the two of us to share a room. Somebody needs to move in with Massia. And, since she's my best friend, that someone should be-"
"Jesse! We'll have the whole apartment to ourselves, Lincoln! Won't that be-"
"A nightmare? No! It would be far too awkward!"
"Not if I tell him that I love him in return!"
"But I don't love him!"
"Oh, hell, what am I thinking? OF COURSE I LOVE HIM!"

And with that final thought, I barged through the front door. I burst out into the dimly lit hall to meet, face-to-face with the one man who I both wanted to see more than anything... And also avoid.

"Uh..." he stuttered.

He hadn't been able to bring himself to leave. He'd been hoping, wether he'd admit it or not, that I'd chase after him.

Wordlessly, I sprung myself upon him, hugging him tighter than I've ever hugged anyone ever before. I dug my fingers into his back and buried my face in his neck, pressing my cold nose into his warm flesh, just like he liked.

And, the best part is... he hugged back.

Well, he hugged back until he suddenly let go of me like a hot potato.

"No..." he muttered. "I can't."

He fled down the stairs, hiding his reddening face from me.

I took the cement demons two at a time, racing after him as if the building was on fire.

I was able to catch up to him on the sidewalk. I tugged on the sleeve of his leather jacket, urging him to stop and talk to me. He ignored me and walked across the empty street.

I dug my heels into the ground and punched his arm with all my might. He stopped, and whorled around to look at me.

We were in the middle of the road.

"What more do you want from me?" he roared. "I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry that I told you how I feel! I'm sorry that you don't feel the same! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"Linc... No... I love-"

He interrupted me.

"Because... Sometimes people need to be loved, no matter the costs! When you held on to me... I pretended you were holding me. I... Goddamn it, Violet! For the longest time, I pretended that you loved me!"

"Linc..." I started, but he interrupted me again and kept going.

"And there were a couple nights when I fooled myself into thinking that I didn't have to pretend. Christmas... New Years... In the hospital, right after my stitches... When you kissed me... I thought that maybe, just maybe, you really loved me..."

"Linc..." I started again, but he cut me off once more.

"And do you know how agonizing that is, Violet? Huh? Every single time I called you Dollface... I was telling you that I loved you! Every single damn time! I mean... I'm crazy about you! But I can't stand not being loved... I needed you to love me... And you didn't! So that's it for me! The world is shit! I can't keep playing make-believe-"

"SHUT UP!" I screamed at him. "Just shut up! Lincoln... You had me at, 'I hate you!'"

He was silent, waiting for what came next...

"I love you, Lincoln Fletcher."
He smiled, his eyes glowing, and placed a hand on my cheek.

"I've always loved you... I just refused to let myself accept it."
"And you've decided to accept it now?" he asked.
"Yes."

"You're going to let me love you?"
"Only if you let me love you right back."

I softly pulled of the lapels of his famous leather jacket and caused him to stumble a step towards me. I leaned up on my tip toes and kissed him on the lips. Involuntarily, he threw his hand up into the air, like a criminal being caught by the cops.

It was as if he was saying, "Look! She's kissing me! She's kissing me and I didn't even have to trick her or get drunk first!"

He laughed softly under my lips, and I laughed softly under his. Slowly, he relaxed and wound one of his hands into my red hair, and stroked my cheek with his other thumb.

He began kissing that tender spot right below my ear... You should be familiar with it by now... The one at the beginning of my jaw...

"Vi?" he asked between kisses. "Hey, Violet?"
"What?" I murmured, tugging on his earlobe.
"It's cold, huh?"

I pulled away from him, grinning. "Lincoln Fletcher, you dog!"

He shrugged out of his jacket, and I pulled it on. I breathed in his cologne...

He reached for my waist, wanting to continue where we left off, but I stepped back.

His face fell. "What? What did I do this time?"
"Say it," I ordered, smiling slightly.
"What do you-"
"Say it!"

And his face lit up with realization.

"I love you... Dollface."

And we kissed. Right in the middle of the street. People drove past us, whizzing by and laying on their horns.

We didn't care. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he held on to me like I was the last girl on Earth.

And if the world suddenly turned black and white... I think that that one kiss would be in color.