"Chocolate for me, strawberry for you," I said, handing her a small cup of her strawberry frozen yogurt along with a tiny plastic spoon. My fingers brushed hers for half a second, and fuck, that alone made my chest feel weird.
She smiled before taking a small bite, her eyes softening as she tasted it. "So you noticed," she teased, tilting her head slightly, that playful spark flickering in her eyes.
"Hard not to," I said with a smile, trying, and failing, to act casual about it.
She smirked then, clearly enjoying this way too much. "I see I turned you into a chocolate connoisseur," she said, wiggling her eyebrows in that ridiculous way that made it impossible not to grin.
"Well, what can I say," I replied, smiling back at her, my voice quieter, more honest than I meant it to be. "You've changed me."
We were silently walking through the park near the lake, the kind of quiet that didn't feel awkward, just heavy and charged in that subtle, dangerous way.
The water reflected the fading light, ducks drifting lazily, and the air was cool enough to raise goosebumps on my arms. Soon enough, our empty containers were tossed away, forgotten, and we were just casually strolling like this was the most normal fucking thing in the world.
Then she laced her arm around mine and intertwined her fingers with mine.
I gasped softly, the breath catching in my throat before I could stop it, fuck, I definitely felt that. She looked up at me instantly, cheeks flushing pink, clearly aware of what she'd just done. For a split second, we just stared at each other, suspended in that moment.
Then she rested her head on my shoulder, her body relaxing against mine like she belonged there, and my heart started pounding so hard I was sure she could feel it through my arm.
We stayed like that for quite a while, walking in sync, her head on my shoulder, her fingers still threaded through mine like she had no intention of letting go. Everything felt stupidly perfect, too perfect, and I fucking knew moments like that never lasted.
Then she said something that sliced clean through it.
"What are you doing on Sunday?" she asked, looking up at me, her eyes hopeful and curious all at once.
I came to a halt, my feet stopping before my brain could catch up. My chest tightened instantly. Fuck. Of all the goddamn days.
"Argh, I have to do Sunday brunch, sorry," I said softly, hating how weak it sounded even to my own ears.
She paused for half a second—just long enough for me to notice—then shrugged it off like it didn't matter. "Nah, it's cool. There's always another time," she said, forcing a small smile.
And just like that, we kept walking.
But something had shifted. The moment wasn't broken completely, but there was a crack in it now, subtle and quiet, and I couldn't stop thinking about how one stupid fucking obligation had taken a bite out of something that felt like it was just starting.
"Hey, can I ask you something?" she began, her voice careful, like she already knew she was stepping onto thin fucking ice.
I felt my stomach drop a little, that uneasy twist settling in my gut. I already knew what was coming.
We slowed our pace, the gravel crunching softly beneath our shoes, the air suddenly heavier than it had been seconds ago.
"Who called, why did you rush off so suddenly?" she asked, glancing up at me, her brows drawn together with concern.
I hesitated, my grip tightening just slightly around her hand before loosening again. My mind scrambled, a dozen half-formed answers crashing into each other. "I uhm…" I started, my voice trailing off uselessly as I stared straight ahead, anywhere but at her.
Before I could finish that pathetic excuse of a sentence, she cut me off.
"Come on, Tom," she said, stopping this time and turning fully toward me. Her tone wasn't harsh, just firm and grounded. "We're friends. I need to know you're able to confide in me like I do you."
That hit harder than I expected. Friends. The word sat there between us, heavy as fuck. I swallowed, my chest tightening, fear and guilt tangling together until I couldn't tell them apart.
"You trust me?" I asked quietly, finally looking at her, searching her face like the answer might save me or ruin me.
"Yeah, I do," she said softly, no hesitation, no bullshit—just honesty.
And fuck, that scared me more than anything.