Chapter 3 — Too Close
851 Words
Adrian avoided him.
For exactly three hours.
That was how long he lasted before Luca Reyes found him again.
It started with a message.
Unknown Number: You’re running.
Adrian stared at the screen, jaw tightening.
He didn’t reply.
Didn’t need to.
Didn’t want to.
And yet—
Another message came through.
Unknown Number: Top floor. East wing. If you’re brave enough.
Adrian exhaled slowly, gripping his phone tighter than necessary.
This was ridiculous.
Childish.
A game.
And he didn’t play games.
So why was he already on his feet?
The east wing was quiet.
Too quiet.
The kind of silence that felt intentional… like it was waiting.
Adrian stepped out of the elevator, his footsteps echoing softly against polished floors. The glass walls stretched endlessly, reflecting the city beyond—bright, distant, untouchable.
Just like him.
Usually.
“Thought you weren’t coming.”
Adrian didn’t need to turn around.
He already knew.
“Stop this,” he said, his voice controlled, but lower than usual. “Whatever this is.”
Luca’s soft chuckle followed.
“You keep asking me to stop,” he said, stepping closer, “but you keep showing up.”
Adrian turned then.
And just like that—
The air shifted again.
Luca wasn’t dressed like before.
No sharp edges. No polished image.
Just a simple shirt, sleeves rolled slightly, collar open enough to show a hint of skin.
Relaxed.
Dangerously relaxed.
Adrian’s gaze lingered for a second too long.
And Luca noticed.
Of course he did.
“You’re staring.”
Adrian’s eyes snapped back to his. “You’re in my building.”
Luca smirked. “And you’re changing the subject.”
Silence.
Heavy.
Charged.
“Why are you here?” Adrian asked finally.
This time, it wasn’t sharp.
It wasn’t cold.
It almost sounded… real.
Luca studied him for a moment.
Longer than usual.
Then—
“I wanted to see if last night was a mistake.”
Adrian’s chest tightened.
“And?” he asked before he could stop himself.
Luca stepped closer.
One step.
Then another.
Slow.
Deliberate.
“Still figuring that out.”
Too close.
They were standing too close.
Adrian could feel it now—the warmth, the tension, the way the space between them felt like it was disappearing inch by inch.
He should move.
He didn’t.
“Adrian,” Luca said quietly.
His name.
The way he said it—
Not formal.
Not distant.
Personal.
Too personal.
Adrian’s breath slowed.
“What?” he replied.
Luca’s gaze dropped again.
To his lips.
And this time—
It didn’t feel like a coincidence.
It felt like a decision.
“Tell me to leave,” Luca said softly.
Adrian’s heart thudded harder than it should have.
“You already know I will.”
“Say it.”
The words lingered.
Daring him.
Testing him.
Adrian opened his mouth—
But nothing came out.
Because the truth was…
He didn’t want him to leave.
And that was the problem.
Luca stepped closer again.
Now there was barely any space left between them.
Just breath.
Heat.
Tension that had nowhere to go.
“See?” Luca murmured. “That’s what I thought.”
Adrian’s control snapped—just a little.
His hand moved before he could stop it—
Gripping Luca’s arm.
Not gentle.
Not rough.
But enough to stop him.
Enough to feel him.
Luca stilled.
For the first time—
He didn’t move.
Didn’t speak.
Didn’t smirk.
His eyes dropped briefly to Adrian’s hand.
Then back up.
Something changed.
Something deeper.
More dangerous.
“This is a bad idea,” Adrian said, his voice lower now. Rougher.
Luca didn’t pull away.
“Then let go.”
Adrian’s grip tightened.
Just slightly.
A contradiction.
A mistake.
A confession.
Their faces were inches apart now.
Too close.
Close enough to feel each other’s breath.
Close enough to cross a line that couldn’t be undone.
Adrian’s gaze flickered—
Luca’s lips.
Then back to his eyes.
And that was it.
That was the moment.
The one that would change everything.
But—
A sound broke it.
Footsteps.
Voices.
Coming closer.
Reality crashing back in.
Adrian released him immediately, stepping back like he’d been burned.
Luca didn’t move right away.
He just watched him.
That same look in his eyes—
But sharper now.
Knowing.
“You’re afraid,” Luca said quietly.
Adrian straightened, fixing his jacket, rebuilding the walls in seconds.
“No,” he replied coldly.
Luca smiled faintly.
“Yeah,” he said. “You are.”
The voices grew louder.
Closer.
Too close.
Luca stepped back finally, slipping his hands into his pockets like nothing had happened.
Like they hadn’t just almost—
Like it didn’t matter.
But it did.
It mattered more than anything.
“Don’t worry,” Luca added, heading toward the exit. “I won’t tell anyone.”
He paused at the door.
Glanced back.
“That you wanted to kiss me.”
And then he was gone.
Adrian stood there alone.
Breathing heavier than he should have.
Control slipping through his fingers—
For the first time in years.
- Writer
