Her shoulders tense, that subtle shift I've learned to read like a map of her discomfort.
"Because it's none of my business."
"Ask me."
My voice comes out harder than I mean it to, defensive edges creeping in despite my best efforts.
She spins to face me, and there's fire in her eyes—the kind that means she's about to say something that'll cut us both open.
"Nate, I'm not going to ask you about your relationship with Luiza and whether or not you've slept together.I mean she's nice, like super nice.And annoyingly beautiful.And I'm really happy for you both so you don't need to worry about?—"
I start laughing at the absurdity of it all—six months of pretending to be someone's boyfriend to protect their relationship while my heart was three thousand miles away, aching for the girl standing in front of me.
"Valentina," I say, cutting through her spiral, "the girl who gave me the keys to this place is Luiza's girlfriend."
The change in her face is instant.
Color drains, then floods back.Her eyes go wide, lips parting in that way that means her entire worldview just shifted.
"Oh..."The word barely makes it out.
I step closer, drawn by that magnetic pull that's been dragging me toward her since we were kids.The air between us shifts, it’s supercharged with all the electricity we've been pretending not to feel.
"There's only ever been one person," I say, my voice dropping to something softer, more vulnerable than I usually allow."Only one person who's held my attention since I was seven years old."
Her breath catches, and I watch her chest rise and fall in rapid succession.
"Only one person who makes me feel like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be just by existing in the same space."
I take another step closer, close enough to see the flecks of gold in her eyes.
"And she's standing right here in front of me, trying to pretend she doesn't feel it too."
"Nate..."Her voice is barely a whisper.
"I've spent the last eight months learning how to be human again," I continue, my hands finding her face, thumbs tracing the sharp line of her cheekbones."And the whole time, the only thing I really wanted and prayed I'd get was another chance with you."
I make the space between us paper-thin, like two pages in a book threatening to stick together.
"So Len, truth or dare?"
"Truth."
"Would you let me kiss you right now?"
She smirks.“Truth or dare Nate?"
"Dare."
"I dare you to."
Before she can take it back, before she can think of reasons why this is too complicated, I kiss her.
It's everything.
Soft and desperate and months of missing each other poured into the space between our mouths.She tastes like coming home to something I thought I'd lost forever.
When we break apart, both breathing hard, her hands are fisted in my shirt.
