THE WOLF WHO WASN'T MEANT TO EXIST

JUST US

‎The note stayed in Mara's pocket throughout the day, and every time she remembered it was there, a smile threatened to appear on her face. It was ridiculous, she knew that. Adrian had only written a few words, yet somehow they had made her entire morning better. They had spent almost a year building a friendship, learning each other's habits and slowly becoming important to one another, and now they were finally allowing themselves to call what they felt by its real name. They were together. The thought still felt strange. Not unpleasant, just new. Mara had never imagined that after everything Daniel had done, she would eventually find herself looking forward to loving someone again. She spent the afternoon getting ready for dinner without making too much of it. At least, that was what she told herself. She changed her outfit twice before finally settling on a simple dark-blue dress and leaving her hair loose around her shoulders. When she caught herself checking her reflection for the third time, she laughed at herself. "It's just dinner." She said it aloud as though that would make her believe it. By the time Adrian returned home, Mara was waiting in the living room. He stopped when he saw her, and his expression changed in a way that made her suddenly conscious of the dress she had chosen. "You look beautiful." Mara smiled. "Thank you." Adrian walked closer and offered his hand. "Ready?" She placed her hand in his. "Ready." They drove to a quiet restaurant outside the busiest part of the city. Adrian had chosen somewhere private, with soft lighting and enough distance between the tables that they could talk without being interrupted. Mara looked around as they were seated. "How did you find this place?" "A friend recommended it." "You have friends?" Adrian gave her an amused look. "A few." "I wasn't sure." "Why?" "You spend most of your time working." He smiled. "That's why I have very few." Their dinner was relaxed, filled with teasing and stories neither had heard before. Mara told him about some embarrassing moments from her first few weeks at work, and Adrian listened with genuine amusement. He told her about a business mistake he had made years earlier that had cost his company a considerable amount of money. Mara stared at him in disbelief. "You made a mistake?" "Several." "I'm shocked." "I know, try to recover." She laughed, and Adrian watched her with an expression she couldn't quite read. At one point, she reached across the table for her glass, and his fingers brushed hers. Neither moved immediately. It was such a small thing, but Mara felt her heart skip. Adrian eventually pulled his hand back, giving her a faint smile. "You're nervous." "I'm not." "You are." Mara narrowed her eyes. "You're very observant." "Only when it matters." She looked down at her plate, trying not to smile. After dinner, they walked outside. The night air was cool, and the streets were quieter than usual. Adrian offered her his jacket when he noticed her rubbing her arms. Mara initially refused, but he insisted until she finally accepted it. "You always do that," she said. "Do what?" "Take care of everyone." Adrian looked ahead. "Not everyone." Mara glanced at him. "Just me?" He looked down at her. "Mostly you." Her heart warmed at the answer. They reached the car, but neither immediately got inside. Mara looked up at him. "I had a really good time." "So did I." "We should do this again." Adrian smiled. "We will." She nodded, then hesitated. "Adrian?" "Yes?" "I'm still scared sometimes." His expression softened. "I know." "I don't want what happened with Daniel to affect us." "It won't." "You can't promise that." "You're right." He paused. "But I can promise that I'll never make you feel like you have to earn my love." Mara's eyes became glassy. She hadn't realized how badly she needed to hear those words. Adrian reached for her hand. She let him hold it. They stood there quietly for a moment before Mara leaned closer and rested her head against his shoulder. Adrian gently wrapped an arm around her. It wasn't dramatic. It didn't need to be. For Mara, it was enough. They remained like that for a while, neither of them wanting to be the first to move. Eventually, Mara lifted her head and looked at him. Their eyes met, and something in Adrian's expression made her heart beat faster. "Mara." "Yes?" He hesitated for a moment. It was unusual for Adrian to seem unsure of himself. "There's something I need to tell you." She waited. "I've been trying not to rush this." His thumb gently moved across the back of her hand. "But I don't think I can pretend anymore." Mara's breath caught. "Pretend what?" Adrian stepped slightly closer. "That you're just someone I care about." She stared at him. "Adrian..." "I love you." The words were quiet, but they seemed to fill the space between them. Mara's lips parted, but no words came. She hadn't expected him to say it so directly. "You don't have to say anything," he added softly. "I just wanted you to know." Mara looked down for a moment, trying to hide the smile spreading across her face. "You're making me blush." Adrian smiled. "I can see that." "Don't." "Don't what?" "Look at me like that." His smile grew. "Why?" "Because you're making it worse." He laughed quietly. Mara finally looked up again. "I love you too." Adrian's expression softened. "You do?" She nodded, suddenly shy. "Yes." He lifted his hand and gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face. "Can I kiss you?" Mara's cheeks turned even redder. She gave him a small nod. Adrian leaned closer, giving her enough time to change her mind. When his lips finally touched hers, the kiss was gentle and unhurried. Mara's fingers tightened around his hand as her eyes closed. For a few seconds, everything else disappeared. When they finally pulled apart, Mara immediately looked away, her cheeks burning. Adrian smiled. "You're really shy." "I'm not." "You're red." "It's cold." He glanced at her. "It's not that cold." She covered her face with both hands. "Stop." Adrian laughed, gently pulling her hands away. "I'm sorry." "No, you're not." "You're right." Mara tried to hide her smile, but she couldn't. Adrian leaned closer and kissed her forehead. "Come on. Let's go home." She nodded, still smiling. When they returned home, they said goodnight at the staircase. Mara went upstairs, still wearing Adrian's jacket. She turned around before reaching her bedroom. "You forgot something." Adrian looked at her. "What?" She smiled and held up the jacket. "This." He shook his head. "Keep it." "Are you sure?" "Yes." She smiled. "Goodnight." "Goodnight, Mara." She disappeared upstairs, and Adrian remained there for a moment, watching the staircase. He smiled to himself before heading toward his office. Neither of them knew that their quiet evening together was only the beginning of something that would soon change both of their lives.

‎