The evening air had turned softer now. The sun, once golden and sharp, had melted into amber hues stretching across the sky. The lampposts near the path flickered on, humming gently in the background as if the universe itself was holding its breath.
They hadn't said much in the last few minutes. Just sat there—shoulders brushing faintly, breaths syncing without trying. The silence wasn't awkward; it was heavy, like it knew something they didn't.
She tilted her face a little, letting the wind play with a few strands of her hair. He watched them, how they tickled her cheek and how her eyes squinted slightly when she smiled to herself.
And then she turned to look at him. Really look at him.
That one glance—unshielded, open—made something shift in his chest. He could feel the heat rush to
