BETWEEN HIS SHEETS

CHAPTER 6: WHERE THE AIR WAS HONEST

Carina had started taking long walks in the evening.

Not to clear her head.

Not to escape anything.

Just to breathe.

There was a nature trail not far from her apartment—lined with tall trees, soft earth underfoot, and a silence that felt kind. It became her quiet ritual. No phone. No rush. Just her and the rhythm of her steps.

That’s where she met him.

He was standing near a bend in the path, stretching his arms toward the sky, as if greeting the evening. He wasn’t dressed to impress—just simple, comfortable clothes and a calm energy that blended into the scenery.

When their paths crossed, he nodded politely.

“Good evening,” he said.

“Good evening,” she replied, surprised by how natural it felt.

They walked a few steps in silence before he spoke again.

“Beautiful out here, isn’t it? Makes you forget how loud the world can be.”

She smiled. “That’s why I come here.”

“Me too,” he said. “It’s the only place where my thoughts stop racing.”

Something about that honesty made her slow her pace.

“I’m Malik,” he added gently.

“Carina.”

They didn’t rush into conversation. They walked side by side, letting the wind and the birds fill the spaces between their words. When they spoke, it was about small things—the sky, the trail, how nature had a way of reminding you that life didn’t need to be complicated.

He listened. Not just with his ears, but with presence.

When she mentioned she was writing, his eyes lit up.

“That’s beautiful,” he said. “What do you write about?”

“Life,” she answered. “And the lessons it hides.”

He smiled. “Then you must be brave. Not everyone is willing to look that closely.”

No one had ever described her like that.

When the trail ended, neither of them rushed to leave.

“I usually walk here every few evenings,” he said. “If you’d like, we could walk together sometime.”

There was no pressure in his voice.

No expectation.

Just respect.

“I’d like that,” she said.

He took out his phone. “May I?”

She gave him her number.

That night, as she lay in bed, her phone buzzed.

I’m glad our paths crossed today. Walks are better when they’re shared.

Carina smiled—not from excitement, not from longing—but from peace.

Adrian had made her feel wanted.

Malik made her feel seen.

And for the first time, she understood:

Some people enter your life like a storm.

Others arrive like fresh air.

Both change you.

But only one helps you breathe.