Chapter 6: Rainy Conversations and Unspoken Truths
As they left the restaurant, the rain outside had turned into a gentle drizzle, painting the streets in silver reflections. Caden insisted on walking Ayla home, and though she pretended to argue, she secretly liked the idea of not being alone.
They strolled side by side, umbrellas bumping occasionally, creating little ripples of awkwardness that made Ayla smile.
"So," Caden said after a moment of comfortable silence, "you didn't answer Ella's question earlier."
Ayla glanced at him. "Which question?"
"What you really think of me."
She gave him a mischievous smile. "I said you were okay, didn't I?"
Caden groaned dramatically. "Okay? That's the best I get?"
"Well, you do have potential," Ayla teased.
"Potential?" Caden laughed, shaking his head. "This feels like a performance review."
"It kind of is," Ayla shot back with a grin. "And right now, you're sitting at about… three stars."
"Three?!" Caden put a hand to his chest. "Ayla, you wound me."
She chuckled softly, feeling lighter than she had in weeks. Somehow, teasing Caden felt easy, natural. Like slipping into a pair of old, comfortable shoes.
But just as she started to relax, Caden's expression turned more serious.
"Can I ask you something?" he said, his voice softer.
Ayla slowed her steps, sensing the shift in tone. "Sure."
"Why are you so afraid of letting people in?"
The question caught her off guard, and for a moment, she didn't know how to respond.
Caden must have noticed her hesitation because he quickly added, "I mean, you don't have to answer if—"
"No, it's okay," Ayla interrupted, though her voice was quieter now. She looked down at the wet pavement, the raindrops blurring the world around them.
"It's just… people leave," she said finally, her words barely more than a whisper. "Or they change. And it's easier not to get too close."
Caden didn't say anything for a moment, letting her words settle between them like the rain.
"I get that," he said quietly. "I really do."
Ayla glanced at him, surprised.
Caden gave a small, rueful smile. "My parents divorced when I was ten. Dad left, and after that, it was just me and Ella. She's always been the strong one, but… yeah. I guess we both got used to keeping people at a distance."
Ayla felt a strange kind of kinship with him in that moment. Like maybe, beneath the charm and jokes, Caden understood her in a way she hadn't expected.
For a while, they walked in silence, the rain drumming softly against their umbrellas.
When they reached Ayla's apartment, Caden hesitated, lingering at the entrance like he wasn't quite ready to leave.
"So…" he said, shuffling his feet. "How do I get that star rating up? I'm aiming for at least four."
Ayla laughed, the sound light and unexpected. "You'll have to work for it."
Caden grinned. "Challenge accepted."
Before she could say anything else, he leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek.
"Goodnight, Ayla."
And just like that, he was gone, disappearing into the rain with a wave and a smile, leaving Ayla standing there, her heart fluttering in ways she didn't quite understand.
Back inside her apartment, Ayla flopped onto her couch, staring up at the ceiling.
Her phone buzzed with a new message.
Caden:
Made it home! Hope I earned at least half a star tonight 😁
Ayla smiled to herself as she typed back:
Ayla:
We'll see… but you're on the right track.
Her phone buzzed again almost instantly.
Caden:
I won't settle for less than five.
Ayla shook her head, still smiling. For the first time in a long time, she felt something she hadn't let herself feel in years:
Hope.