Chapter 4: Closer Than Before
1274 Words
Three days had passed since Ted met Aria at the club.
Three days.
And somehow, they had spoken every single day.
Ted sat on the balcony of his apartment, staring at his phone with a smile he couldn't hide.
Another message from Aria had just arrived.
Aria: Good morning. Don't tell me you're still sleeping.
Ted laughed softly.
Ted: I've been awake for an hour.
Almost instantly, a reply appeared.
Aria: Liar.
Ted shook his head.
For someone who looked so calm and elegant, Aria could be surprisingly playful.
His phone rang.
The caller ID showed Zuan.
Ted answered immediately.
"What now?"
"Have you looked in a mirror recently?" Zuan asked.
Ted frowned.
"What are you talking about?"
"You've been smiling for three straight days."
Ted rolled his eyes.
"You're exaggerating."
"No, I'm documenting evidence."
Ted laughed.
A few minutes later, Ted arrived at a small café where the others were waiting.
Minho spotted him first.
"There he is!"
Bobie looked up from his coffee.
"Our romantic hero."
Ted groaned.
"Can we stop calling me that?"
"No," all three replied together.
The boys burst into laughter.
Ted sat down.
Before he could say anything, Minho pointed dramatically.
"Phone."
"What?"
"Your phone."
Ted looked down.
Another message from Aria.
The entire table exploded.
"Oh my God!"
"He's smiling again!"
"It's happening!"
Ted grabbed his phone and stood up.
"I hate all of you."
"You love us," Zuan corrected.
Ted couldn't even argue.
Later that evening
Ted found himself walking through a quiet city park.
The sun was beginning to set.
Golden light painted the pathways while a gentle breeze moved through the trees.
His heartbeat sped up.
Because Aria was waiting.
He spotted her sitting on a bench near a fountain.
For a moment, he simply stood there.
She looked different outside the club.
More natural.
More beautiful.
When she noticed him, her face immediately brightened.
"Hi."
"Hi."
Neither of them could stop smiling.
Ted sat beside her.
For the next hour, they talked about everything.
Dreams.
Childhood memories.
Favorite movies.
Embarrassing stories.
At one point, Aria laughed so hard she nearly spilled her drink.
Ted found himself staring.
"What?" she asked.
He quickly looked away.
"Nothing."
Aria narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"Ted."
"What?"
"You were staring."
Ted laughed nervously.
"I wasn't."
"You were."
"Maybe a little."
Aria smiled.
The smile made his heart skip again.
As evening arrived, the park became quieter.
Streetlights slowly illuminated the pathways.
For the first time, neither of them felt the need to fill every silence.
They simply enjoyed being together.
Eventually, Aria spoke softly.
"You know..."
Ted looked at her.
"I'm really glad you came over and talked to me that night."
Ted smiled.
"I'm glad too."
Their eyes met.
For a second, everything felt perfect.
But then—
Aria's phone vibrated.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The smile on her face faded.
Ted noticed immediately.
The same thing had happened at the club.
The same worried expression.
The same tension.
Aria quickly silenced the phone.
"Sorry."
Ted hesitated.
"Is everything okay?"
She forced a smile.
"Yeah."
But Ted wasn't convinced.
Something was bothering her.
Something she didn't want to talk about.
And for the first time since meeting her, Ted wondered:
Who was really on the other side of those messages?
And why did they always seem to ruin her smile?
The walk through the park continued, but Ted couldn't stop thinking about the messages.
Every time Aria's phone lit up, the happiness in her eyes seemed to disappear.
She tried to hide it.
But Ted noticed.
He was beginning to notice everything about her.
The way she tucked her hair behind her ear when she was nervous.
The way she looked away whenever she was thinking deeply.
The way her smile changed when she was genuinely happy.
And right now, she wasn't happy.
"Ted?"
He blinked.
"Huh?"
Aria laughed softly.
"I asked where you disappeared to."
"Oh."
Ted rubbed the back of his neck.
"Sorry. I was thinking."
"About what?"
For a moment, he considered asking about the messages.
But something stopped him.
If Aria wanted to tell him, she would.
At least, that's what he hoped.
"Nothing important," he replied.
She studied him carefully.
Then she smiled.
"I don't believe you."
Ted laughed.
"You're learning my habits already?"
"Maybe."
They continued walking.
The sky had darkened now, and the city lights sparkled around them.
As they crossed a small bridge overlooking the river, Aria suddenly stopped.
Ted stopped beside her.
The water below reflected hundreds of lights from nearby buildings.
It was beautiful.
For several moments, neither of them spoke.
Then Aria surprised him.
"Can I ask you something personal?"
Ted nodded.
"Of course."
Aria looked down at the river.
"What are you afraid of?"
The question caught him off guard.
He thought carefully.
"Failure."
Aria looked up.
"Really?"
Ted nodded.
"I always feel like I should be doing better."
She listened quietly.
"Even when things are going well, I keep wondering if I'm not doing enough."
Aria smiled sadly.
"I understand that feeling."
Ted looked at her.
"What about you?"
Her eyes returned to the river.
For a long moment, she said nothing.
When she finally spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper.
"I'm afraid of losing people."
Ted felt something heavy behind those words.
Not just fear.
Pain.
Like it came from experience.
Before he could ask what she meant, Aria's phone vibrated again.
Her expression immediately changed.
This time Ted noticed her hand trembling slightly.
Whoever was calling her clearly wasn't someone she wanted to talk to.
Aria rejected the call.
Seconds later, another call came.
And another.
Ted frowned.
"Aria..."
She forced a smile.
"I'm fine."
But she didn't sound fine.
Not even close.
Before Ted could say anything else, she slipped her phone into her bag.
"I should probably go home."
The disappointment hit him immediately.
"Oh."
Aria noticed.
A small smile appeared.
"Don't look so sad."
"I'm trying not to."
She laughed softly.
The sound eased some of the tension between them.
As they reached the parking area, Aria turned toward him.
"Thank you for today."
Ted smiled.
"You don't need to thank me."
"I do."
"Why?"
"Because..." she paused. "I haven't enjoyed spending time with someone like this in a very long time."
Ted's heart nearly stopped.
Neither of them moved.
The air suddenly felt different.
Warmer.
Quieter.
The world around them seemed to disappear.
For one brief moment, it felt like they were the only two people there.
Then Aria stepped forward.
Before Ted could react, she gently kissed his cheek.
His eyes widened.
"So you know," she said shyly, "I had a really good time."
Ted stood frozen.
Completely frozen.
Aria laughed at his expression.
"Goodnight, Ted."
Then she quickly got into her car and drove away.
Leaving Ted standing alone in the parking lot.
Several seconds passed.
Then a full minute.
He still hadn't moved.
His hand slowly touched the place on his cheek where she had kissed him.
A huge smile spread across his face.
At that exact moment, his phone rang.
It was Minho.
Ted answered.
"Hello?"
"So?" Minho demanded instantly.
"How was the date?"
Ted couldn't stop smiling.
"It was perfect."
Back at her apartment, Aria entered her room and locked the door.
The smile on her face slowly disappeared.
Her phone vibrated again.
This time she looked at the screen.
A single message appeared.
Her face turned pale.
The message read:
You need to tell him the truth before it's too late.
Aria stared at the screen.
Fear filled her eyes.
Because whoever sent the message knew exactly who Ted was.
- Writer
