Chapter 7
678 Words
Chapter 7: Stay
The drive to Monica’s place felt… different.
Not quiet.
Not tense.
Just heavy—with everything they had finally said.
Kian parked but didn’t turn off the engine right away.
Neither of them moved.
Monica stared ahead, fingers loosely intertwined in her lap.
Still trying to process it.
It’s always been you.
The words echoed in her head.
Over and over.
“You’re thinking too much,” Kian said quietly.
She let out a small breath. “Can you blame me?”
“No.”
That alone made her glance at him.
Because Kian Anderson didn’t admit things easily.
“I just…” she hesitated. “Everything changed so fast.”
Kian turned toward her, expression softer now.
“Not fast,” he said. “We just stopped pretending.”
That hit deeper than she expected.
Silence settled again.
But this time—
It wasn’t uncomfortable.
Monica reached for the door handle.
Paused.
Then slowly turned back to him.
“Kian…”
There was something in her voice.
Something that made him pay attention instantly.
“What?”
She didn’t answer right away.
Instead, she leaned closer.
Not bold.
Not teasing.
Just… honest.
“Stay.”
The word came out soft.
But it carried weight.
Kian’s expression shifted.
“Monica—”
“Just for tonight,” she added quickly. “I’m not saying anything else. I just…”
She swallowed.
“I just want to be with you. I don't want this night to end.”
That was the truth.
No games.
No teasing.
And somehow—
That made it harder to refuse.
Kian exhaled slowly, searching her face.
Looking for hesitation.
Doubt.
Regret.
He found none.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
She nodded.
“Yeah.”
A beat.
Then—
“Please.”
That did it.
Kian turned off the engine.
The condo was quiet when they entered.
Soft lighting.
Clean.
Minimal.
Monica slipped off her shoes near the door, walking in slowly as if grounding herself.
Kian stayed close behind.
Not touching.
But there.
Always there.
“I didn’t think today would end like this,” she admitted.
“Me neither.”
She let out a small laugh.
“Understatement.”
Another silence.
But this one—
Felt different.
More fragile.
Monica turned to face him.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Because now—
There were no interruptions.
No Kailey.
No outside noise.
Just them.
And everything they’d been holding back.
“You can still leave,” she said softly.
Kian didn’t move.
“Do you want me to?”
She shook her head immediately.
“No.”
That was all he needed.
He stepped closer.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Giving her time.
Space.
A choice.
She didn’t step back.
Instead—
She moved toward him.
Closing the distance herself.
Her hands found his shirt again—
lightly gripping.
Like she needed something real to hold onto.
“I meant what I said,” she whispered. “I’m tired of running.”
Kian’s gaze softened.
“Then don’t.”
And this time—
when he kissed her—
It wasn’t rushed.
It wasn’t about tension.
It was slower.
Deeper.
Like something steady was finally taking shape beneath all the chaos.
Monica leaned into him, closer, her arms slipping around him naturally—
like she had already decided she wasn’t letting go tonight.
And Kian?
He didn’t pull away.
Didn’t hesitate.
Didn’t fight it.
Because for the first time—
Staying didn’t feel like a mistake.
It felt inevitable.
Later, as the night settled around them—
Monica rested her head against his chest, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat grounding her.
“You’re really staying,” she murmured.
Kian glanced down at her.
“Yeah.”
A small smile tugged at her lips.
“Good.”
And as she shifted closer—
holding onto him just a little tighter—
Kian realized something he hadn’t let himself admit before.
This wasn’t temporary.
This wasn’t just tension.
This was something real.
And for once—
He wasn’t walking away from it.
- Writer
