This was the start of something I hadn’t dared to hope for.
Something like hope.
---- ??? ----
The bistro I chose wasn’t extravagant, but it had a delightful charm that felt deliberate—soft candlelight flickering on each table, smooth jazz playing quietly in the background, and ivy creeping up the exposed brick walls. It was the kind of spot you stumbled upononly when you were searching for something cozy… something genuine.
Liz sat across from me, looking stunning in that forest green dress. My thoughts drifted to how I longed to peel it off and savor every inch of her. I watched her fingers delicately wrap around the stem of her wine glass, her eyes scanning the room with a mix of cautious appreciation.
“I didn’t expect this,” she murmured.
I raised an eyebrow playfully.
“What were you expecting? Burgers in a parking lot?”
She laughed, a genuine sound that warmed my heart.
“Maybe. You do have that vibe,” she shrugged.
I smirked, lifting my glass in a toast.
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
As we perused the menu in silence, I couldn’t resist stealing another glance at her. She was deeply focused, and I found myself utterly entranced.
“You know what? I think I want dessert first!” she declared.
I shot her a surprised look—never in a million years would I have guessed she was the type to indulge in sweets first.
“You know what? That sounds like an amazing idea. Uh, waiter? Can we get the chocolate tart and the lime one, too?”
The waiter nodded and hurried away, only to return moments later with the tarts. I watched Liz pick up her fork and dig in, the silk of her dress clinging to her curves as it caught the light with every subtle movement.
Fuck, I was staring again.
I forced myself to focus back on the tart between us, trying to think of anything but the way her smile transformed her face. The way she licked a bit of chocolate off her fork with a flick of her tongue, completely unaware of the effect she had on me.
Get it together. You’ve faced tougher challenges. You can handle a beautiful woman enjoying dessert, the voice in my mind urged. But that was the crux of it. She wasn’t just beautiful. She was Elizabeth.
She was a tapestry of scars and poetry. A whirlwind of defiance wrapped in elegance, always poised to flee yet daring someone to ask her to stay.Right there, in this hidden gem of a place, she looked like someone I had almost forgotten how to be—soft, whole, and vibrantly alive.
For a fleeting moment, our eyes met. She held my gaze, and in that instant, something within me crumbled. I knew—without a doubt, without any walls—that I was already in too deep. Not just in lust or admiration, but in love. And the most terrifying part? It felt wonderful. Like taking a breath after being submerged for too long. I wanted to keep her suspended in this perfect moment, where our worlds didn’t collide and late-night calls from Adonis didn’t exist. But I understood I didn’t have forever.
I never had. So, I was memorizing everything: the curve of her neck, the huskiness in her laugh, the way she held her wine glass like it was a shield she no longer needed. I etched it all into my memory, just in case I had to let her go. Because people like me didn’t get to keep people like her. But damn it—I wanted to try. Yet the harsh truth I was concealing loomed over me like a blade ready to fall. Why did I make that fucking bet?
Noah
Her laugh was the first thing that caught my attention. It wasn’t just a sound that slipped out casually; it was something special, something rare. It felt like thunder wrapped in honey—loud and genuine, with a hint of surprise, as if even she hadn’t anticipated it.
And I was the one who had sparked it.
There I was, sitting across from her at a cozy little table tucked in the back corner of the bistro I had chosen, recounting the tale of how I nearly turned myself into a human puzzle, all in a bid to impress a girl when I was fifteen.
“So you really thought jumping the ramp would win her over?” she asked, leaning in, her drink halfway to her lips. The skyline behind her shimmered like a scene from a film, and the wind playfully tugged a strand of hair away from her ear.
“Thought?” I chuckled. “No, I knew. I had the bike, the swagger, the helmet adorned with a skull. I felt invincible.”
“And then what happened?” she inquired, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
