Please point out any mistakes that you see. It's greatly appreciated <3
—-
They met up again in college, once good childhood friends, but now, they're two newly formed adults facing the real world.
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"Hey there stranger," she joked, sticking out her hand.
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The man's eyes widened at the sight of her. He shook her hand slowly, "I didn't expect to see you here."
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She shrugged, "Aren't you glad?"
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"Yeah," he said with a smile, "I am."
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Maybe they'll become good friends again.
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They did. After that exchange, they met often. They were in similar classes since they had the same major. Every morning they would walk up to their first class together after getting some much-needed coffee. They would often meet up to study together.
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Not long afterward, everyone knew they were close friends after the first year of college.
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Friends.
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That's what they were classified as. They did things friends would do. Hang out, tell jokes, enjoying the other's presence...
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But the hugs lingered longer than necessary. Their touches became more frequent.
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One day, they decided to go to a park near the college. Trees and flowers varying from color to color covered the vast area. Families stood under them for shade as they had a picnic.
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Near the side walk was a man with a silly oversized hat selling ice cream to the passerby's. Children ran and got in line to get ice cream, others were playing tag.
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Claire and Miguel sat under a tree. Claire was wearing a flowy dress littered with pink roses.
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"What a cliché outfit to wear," Miguel said when he looked at her.
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"Look at you!" she retorted, gesturing at his plain shirt and ripped pants. "At least I have better fashion sense."
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Miguel didn't make another comment after that. He knew that his fashion sense was awful, especially when he went into Middle School. The time he and Claire met.
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They decided to sit on a nearby tree. Claire put down the blanket she got while Miguel laid out the picnic basket he got.
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They distantly heard the yapping and barks of dogs. Claire took out some strawberries from the basket, taking a bit as they sat in silence. A
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"You know," Miguel said, looking up at the clouds, "I enjoy your company a lot."
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Claire looked up at the clouds, "Me too."
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Claire was very pretty. She had light, brown, wavy hair with hazel eyes. Her face was soft with round cheeks that made her look younger than she was, but her sharp eyes were intimidating.
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Miguel also had brown hair, a much darker shade; his curly hair fell on his forehead. He also had dark brown eyes and high cheekbones. To Claire's annoyance, lots of girls swooned for him.
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They turned to face each other.
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Claire didn't know what came over her, just that a strange urge to say something-
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"I like you," she blurted out suddenly. A light red flush covered her cheeks.
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Miguel grinned. "I knew you couldn't resist me."
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That earned him a shove. He laughed as Claire shook her head, embarrassed. She turned away from him, finding the benches far more interesting.
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"Claire?" he questioned. She didn't respond.
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"I uh- I like you too," he said quietly.
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She didn't turn around.
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He frowned, maybe he shouldn't joke when someone confesses their feelings. He'll keep that in mind.
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"I'm sorry for acting that way, I just..." he trailed off, "I'm not serious, and you know that, but really, I like you to,"
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No response.
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"Claire?"
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She quirked an eyebrow at him. "Well?" She turned around to fully look at him. "Aren't you going to kiss me?"
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Miguel let out a small, surprised 'oh' as a pair of lips touched his.
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Before, they were inseparable, but now, they seemed like soulmates. Always knowing if something was wrong with the other, knowing what to say, and what to do.
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So much so, whenever she told her friends about Miguel, they would roll their eyes.
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"Uh-huh, we get it!"
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Just like that, two years passed by in a flash. Claire was guaranteed an internship after she completed college. Miguel was getting mentored by someone with influence; he might be qualified to lead a company one day.
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Two more years left of college.
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It was one of those days. Those days just made life harder. Those small infrequent moments just ruin everything so so quickly.
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Claire and Miguel were having one of those days. Claire was sitting on her bed with a laptop on her lap. Miguel came into their shared apartment after he studied in the library for an upcoming exam.
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"Claire?" he said softly from the door. Claire looked up and rubbed her tired eyes. She looked at her laptop then at Miguel. Miguel outstretched his hands. With a reluctant sigh, she closed it and walked over to hug him.
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They both hid a smile.
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"Hey! Not my ice cream!" Claire cried out, bringing her cone closer to her face as Miguel tried to grab it. He let out a laugh. "Just let me try it!"
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Claire narrowed her brows, but let him try it. Miguel licked it happily. His expression was thoughtful and licked it again until his face suddenly contorted to a grimace. "Ugh- Matt was right. Mint chocolate ice cream sucks."
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Claire let out an exaggerated gasp, "Don't insult my precious ice cream like that!"
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"I did and I would forever continue to do so.”
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Claire fake a frowned as she walked past him, "Well then, I guess this is goodbye.”
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"Hey, wait up!"
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"Movie night!" Claire shouted as she dashed to the living room. It was Halloween so Claire was a lot more hyper than usual. Miguel shuffled after her. He was holding a bowl of popcorn, soda, and some other snacks to eat.
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"What should we watch?" she questioned, looking through the movies available.
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"The Nightmare Before Christmas!"
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Claire nodded as she put it on.
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As the movie played out, both Miguel and Claire added their own input throughout the scenes.
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"It's just a phase, my dear..." Dr. Finklestein said when stitching up Sally.
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Claire snorted. "Please, I'm stuck with a 12-year-old. It ain't no phase."
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"Now that's just rude-"
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"Stay still..." muttered Miguel as he looked at Claire intently.
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She sighed but obligated. After a few minutes, Miguel stepped back from his painting to compare them both. With a satisfied smile, he showed her the painting.
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It showed Claire sitting on an oak chair as she placed one arm across the table and the other one on her jaw. Her gaze was towards the window. It looked like she was lost in thought, curios of the outside.
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Claire looked at the painting with appreciation, "Very nice..."
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Miguel smiled, he enjoyed his major, (as much as he could), but art would always have a special place in his heart.
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"Can I look at your other drawing again?"
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Miguel looked up and nodded. He went to look for his portfolio of drawings. Claire was one of the main reasons he discovered his passion for art when he was in Middle School.
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Miguel spotted the box in their shared closet. He stored most of his drawings there.
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Claire stood behind him as he opened the box. He tried to keep his old drawings in order so he could see his progress.
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He placed the box on the ground and took the first drawing out. It showed a bird flying with no color. Miguel knew that would take too much time to finish. The bird's wings extended as it took flight, portraying motion. The background was filled with trees and leaves.
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"Wow..." said Claire. "The feathers look amazing!"
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Miguel smiled.
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The next drawing was colored. It showed two hands holding some cotton candy. The right hand had a bracelet that looked eerily similar to the one Claire had.
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"Ah! Is that supposed to show the time where we went to that amusement park?"
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Miguel's smile widened, "Our 3rd-year anniversary, we decided to go to the park."
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"Ugh, don't say it like that. It makes me feel old, like a married couple," Claire said.
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He pulled out another drawing. It showed a giant stuffed bear.
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"Leo!" exclaimed Claire. Miguel gifted her a giant stuffed bear for Valentine's day. She found it a bit...cringe, but still decided to keep and name it.
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Miguel scratched the back of his neck as Claire inspected the drawing. The drawing not only showed the bear, but Claire too. The bear's big arms were wrapped around her small form.
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"I like it," she said, and turned to him with a mischievous smile, "If you were jealous of the bear, you should've just said so."
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He set the bear drawing aside and pulled out another drawing. It showed an elderly woman smiling brightly. Her hair grey and face wrinkled.
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"My mom," he whispered, his playful attitude gone.
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Claire looked at him, "Cancer..."
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Miguel nodded, a pit of pain filling in his stomach. "It's okay..." she murmured, bringing him into a hug.
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"I don't want to die, Claire."
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Claire's warm eyes stared into his, "It'll be fine.." she said. "We'll have fun for the next few years, okay? Lots of fun..."
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Miguel didn't respond. Her arms around him tightened.
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"Don't cry on me now..."
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They held each other for the rest of the night.
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Claire didn't notice the empty bed later on.
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"Claire?" Miguel said one night in their apartment. They were both laying on their bed, trying to sleep.
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Miguel couldn't.
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"Yes?" replied Claire. Maybe she couldn't sleep either.
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"Can you sing for me?"
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It was quiet for a moment.
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Claire didn't feel comfortable singing with others around. "I'm not even that good," she'd murmur.
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But then, a soft, but clear tone echoed through the room, "Wise men say...."
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"Only fools rush in..."
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"But I can't help, falling in love with you..."
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For the rest of the night, Claire sang and Miguel listened.
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Miguel silently did agree.
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Maybe they were fools for falling, but it felt nice.
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"You are NOT cutting my hair, Miguel-!"
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"C'mon! So many YouTubers do this!"
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"Yeah, YOUTUBERS! For content!"
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Miguel clasped his hands together.
"Please...?"
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Claire huffed, shaking her head. "You're such a child..."
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Miguel visibly brightened. He went to go grab the scissors. Clarie already washed her hair and straightened it.
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They were in the bathroom. The yellow lights lit up the small space. Claire was sitting on a stool that Miguel used to own back home. She looked over the freshly cleaned mirror to see her own terrified expression looking back at her. She clutched the chair tighter.
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"I better not be bald after this," she threatened.
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"Don’t worry, I searched this stuff up.” He held her chin, “just for you.”
She turned her head away, a sneer on her lips. Miguel laughed.
He combed her hair and grabbed the scissors.
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Claire's eyes widened, "On second thought-"
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"Too late."
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She glowered at him as he combed the back of her hair. Her hair was tied in sections. He combed a piece of hair and left half an inch in between his fingers. With his scissors angled, he cut her hair.
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Claire winced.
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Miguel trimmed the back of her hair. Going from section to section. Then went to the front of her hair.
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Claire made random noises here and then when she heard a loud snip from the scissors.
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"Please don't let everything end up unevenly..." she muttered.
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Despite Claire's less than encouraging words, Miguel kept going. He cut her hair and often checked to see if they were around the same length.
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After a few minutes, he was finally finished.
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"Done!" He exclaimed. Claire opened her eyes and stared at herself in the mirror. Her long wavy hair gone, now replaced with straight, shoulder-length hair. Everything seemed surprisingly well done.
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She touched her hair, "I'm impressed.”
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"Shouldn't have doubted someone who's good looking.”
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Claire rolled her eyes, "Haha, very funny."
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She looked around the bathroom floor and groaned, "Ugh, we gotta clean all this hair up.”
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"Not me!" said Miguel as he walked out of the room. "I did your hair. You just sat there the whole time!"
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Claire pursed her lips, but let him leave. She grabbed the broom and began working.
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Three minutes later, Miguel came back, saying something along the lines of, "I was bored and I- hey! I'm not doing this because I feel guilty..."
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Claire secretly hid a smile as he helped her clean up.
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"Matt is weird," Miguel said during one of their gossip nights.
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Claire frowned, "Matt? The mint chocolate ice cream hater?"
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"Yeah," Miguel said, "Something suspicious is going on with him and Liam."
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She raised an eyebrow, "What makes you think that?"
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Miguel looked up thoughtfully, "I keep seeing them glaring at each other," Claire stared at him.
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"Like- whenever one of them talks to a girl, they glare. I think they might have the same crush, or they're competing against each other to see how many people they can hook up with."
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Claire nodded slowly, muttering "Playboys," under her breath.
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"I should probably tell them to stop.”
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She gave him a look, 'you think?''
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After a moment of silence, Claire spoke up, "You know that one girl in my accounting class? She gave me some chocolate.”
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Miguel let out a hum.
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"I remember inviting her to my table since she seemed lonely...She told me it was because I made her have confidence. That's insane," Claire said. "Someone feeling happy because of me. Because of what I did."
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She let out a breath, "I...didn't think anyone would ever care if I left this place."
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They both went silent.
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"Would you believe me if I told you I love you?" Miguel said. Claire froze, her eyes wide.
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"That you love me?" she repeated. She searched his face for a few moments.
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"Do you really?"
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"I think so," he said. "Love is when we cry for what the other did. Love is when we can learn to accept our actions and say we were wrong without shame. Love is when mistakes won't be repeated. We learn and grow from them."
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Miguel looked at her and clasped their hands together.
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"I love you, Claire.”
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Love.
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A scary thought.
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A scary feeling to have.
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But she smiled.
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"I love you too.”
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