C13 : The Late Walk
366 Words
It was near closing when Adrian appeared at the counter instead of heading to his usual corner. His journal was tucked away in his satchel, untouched.
"Walk with me," he said, almost shyly.
Mia hesitated, surprised. But something in his eyes — soft, hopeful — made it impossible to refuse.
The streets were quiet, painted silver under the glow of streetlamps. The sea whispered against the shore in the distance, its rhythm calm and steady. They walked side by side, their steps unhurried, the silence between them as comfortable as ever.
Adrian's shoulder brushed hers once, then again, until finally he didn't bother to shift away. Neither did she.
"You know," Mia said, her voice hushed in the night air, "I can't remember the last time I walked with someone like this. No reason, no destination."
Adrian glanced at her, his expression unreadable. "Maybe that's the best kind of walk. Just being...here."
They stopped by the seawall, the waves glittering under the moonlight. Adrian leaned against the railing, his profile etched in silver. Mia found herself staring, memorizing the way his hair caught the light, the way his hands rested loosely as if he was finally at ease.
"Do you ever feel like..." she began, then trailed off.
"Like what?" asked gently.
"Like something's about to change. You don't know how, but you can feel it."
His gaze lingered on her, long and steady. For a moment, it seemed like he might reach for her, close the space between them.
But instead, he looked back at the sea. "Every day, " he said softly.
They walked back in silence, but it wasn't empty — it pulsed with everything unsaid. At the bookstore door, Adrian hesitated, his hand brushing hers in a touch so light it almost wasn't there.
"Goodnight, Mia," he murmured.
"Goodnight," she whispered back, though her heart screamed for more.
When the door closed behind her, she leaned against it, eyes shut, breath shaky. The night had been nothing, really — just a walk, just a brush of hands.
But to Mia, it felt like standing at the edge of something vast and unstoppable.
And she wasn't sure whether to step forward or run.
- Writer
