The night air was crisp, a welcome contrast to the warmth of the dining hall. As Aeliana and I stepped onto the balcony, the soft hum of the night surrounded us, the distant chirping of crickets and the gentle rustle of leaves in the breeze.
The stone beneath our feet was cool, grounding me just a bit as my heart raced in my chest. I could feel Aeliana's presence beside me, so close and yet still too far away.
I glanced at her, watching as she leaned against the railing, her eyes fixed on the stars above.
There was something so serene about her in that moment, her usual sharp edges softened by the moonlight. It made her seem almost untouchable, and for a second, I hesitated. What was I doing? Why was I so damn nervous?
But then she turned to me, her eyes meeting mine, and that small smile of hers appeared the one that had been driving me crazy ever since we met. It was enough to push me forward, to remind me of why I'd brought her out here in the first place.
I needed to know if there was something between us, something more than just this strange, awkward friendship we'd been tiptoeing around.
"So… Aeliana," I started, my voice low, trying to sound casual despite the storm raging inside me. "You ever just… look up at the stars and wonder what the hell we're doing here?"
She laughed softly, a sound that sent a shiver down my spine. "Sometimes," she replied, her gaze drifting back to the sky. "But I think it's more important to focus on what we're doing while we're here."
Her words hung in the air between us, and for a moment, I just stared at her, trying to figure out what the hell she meant by that. Was she talking about us? About… this?
I took a step closer, my heart pounding so hard it felt like it might burst out of my chest. "Aeliana," I murmured, reaching out to brush a strand of hair behind her ear. My fingers grazed her skin, and she looked up at me, her eyes wide, her breath catching in her throat.
This was it. The moment I'd been building up to, the moment I couldn't back out of now even if I wanted to.
As I leaned in, the weight of every emotion I had tried to suppress came crashing down on me. My heart was hammering against my chest, a wild rhythm that echoed the chaos in my mind. This wasn't just any kiss it felt monumental, like everything in my life had been spiraling towards this moment, and it scared me more than I could admit.
The nerves clawed at my insides, tightening around my throat, making it hard to breathe. It wasn't just the act of kissing her; it was what it symbolized, what it could mean if I let myself go.
Our lips were so close, the space between us charged with a tension that hummed like electricity in the air. I could hear nothing but the sound of our breaths mingling, could feel nothing but the smooth warmth of her skin beneath my fingertips.
Time seemed to stretch, each second slowing down as I hovered on the edge of something I couldn't fully comprehend. Her eyes met mine, and in them, I saw a flicker of something was it anticipation? Or was it fear? The uncertainty of it made my heart skip a beat, a jolt that ran through me like a current.
I wanted to understand what she was feeling, wanted to know if this moment was as significant to her as it was to me. My thoughts were a tangle of desire and doubt, each one urging me forward and holding me back all at once.
But the pull was stronger, the need to close that final inch, to feel the reality of her lips against mine. So I did. I closed the gap, letting my lips brush against hers in a kiss that was so soft, so tentative, it felt like a whisper of something far greater.
The warmth of her lips sent a shiver down my spine, and for a heartbeat, everything else fell away. The world stopped turning, leaving only the two of us in the stillness of the night.
The kiss was perfect in its simplicity, filled with all the words we hadn't yet spoken, all the emotions we hadn't yet shared. It was gentle, almost fragile, as if we both understood that something precious was at stake.
But just as I was about to let go, to deepen the kiss, to see where it might lead us, a voice cut through the quiet, sharp and intrusive.
"Aeliana!"
We both jerked apart, the spell shattered as we turned to see Nathaniel standing at the entrance to the balcony, his expression unreadable but his presence unmistakable. The tension in the air was thick, almost suffocating, as Aeliana quickly stepped back, her cheeks flushed, her eyes wide with a mix of emotions I couldn't decipher.
Nathaniel took a step forward, his gaze flicking between the two of us, and I could feel the anger bubbling up inside me, the frustration at being interrupted at the worst possible moment.
"What do you want, Nathaniel?" I snapped, unable to keep the edge out of my voice.
He didn't answer right away, his eyes locked on Aeliana as if I wasn't even there. Finally, he spoke, his tone carefully neutral. "Leora is looking for you, Aeliana. She said it was important."
Aeliana looked at me, her expression torn, and I could see the confusion and doubt in her eyes. For a second, I thought she might stay, might brush off Nathaniel and let us finish what we'd started, but then she nodded, stepping back even further.
"I should go," she said quietly, not meeting my gaze.
I wanted to argue, to tell her to stay, but the moment was gone. Nathaniel had ruined it, and there was no getting it back now. All I could do was watch as she turned and walked back into the castle, Nathaniel following closely behind her.
I stood there on the balcony, the cool breeze suddenly feeling too cold, too harsh against my skin. The taste of Aeliana still lingered on my lips, a reminder of what had just happened, what could have happened if we hadn't been interrupted. I clenched my fists, frustration and anger boiling inside me, but I forced myself to stay calm.
This wasn't over. Not by a long shot.
I wasn't about to let Nathaniel get in the way, wasn't about to let this one moment define whatever the hell was going on between Aeliana and me.
She might have walked away tonight, but I'd find a way to make sure that the next time, there wouldn't be any interruptions. The next time, I'd get the answer I was looking for.
Because I wasn't about to let Aeliana slip through my fingers not when I was this close to figuring out what she really meant to me. And I sure as hell wasn't going to let Nathaniel, or anyone else, stand in my way.