Chapter 2 — When Friendship Became Love

I don't know exactly when it happened.
There was no single moment when we looked at each other and said, “Now we're in love.”
It happened quietly.
Our friendship slowly became something deeper. We talked more, shared more, and somehow became a part of each other's everyday lives. I started looking forward to his messages, his calls, and even the smallest moments with him.
Of course, our relationship wasn't perfect.
We had huge fights. Sometimes they were so intense that I wondered how two people who loved each other so much could hurt each other with just a few words.
But somehow, after every fight, my heart still wanted him.
We didn't meet very often, but whenever we did, he could make me happier than I expected. I loved talking to him. I loved the simple feeling of holding his hand in public without being afraid of what anyone might think.
And then there was something he slowly changed for me.
He used to smoke and have hookah. I never liked it. He knew that.
So, little by little, he stopped.
Maybe it sounds like a small thing to someone else.
But to me, it wasn't.

It felt like he was saying, “Your feelings matter to me.”
That's what made me believe in us even more.
I thought we were learning how to love each other—through happiness, through arguments, through mistakes, and through the little promises that only we understood.
I didn't know then that life was about to test everything we had built.
And when that day came, I realized love isn't only about the beautiful moments.
Sometimes, love is standing terrified on the other side of a phone call, desperately hoping the person you love is okay. ❤️
To be continued…