Elena wasn't sure how it happened, only that one moment she was nodding at Adrian's suggestion, and the next, she was standing beside him on the edge of the riverwalk.
The city stretched around them,Lights glittered across the water, rippling with every passing breeze. Street musicians played somewhere down the road and their melodies blending with the low whispering of people passing by.
It felt different than their other encounters less accidental, more intentional. A choice.
Adrian carried his camera slung across his shoulder, though tonight he seemed less interested in the world around them and more in keeping pace with her.
"Do you come here often?" he asked, glancing out at the river.
"Sometimes," Elena said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I like the way the city feels quieter near the water. Like it's catching its breath.
"That's exactly why I take photos here. The reflections… they're like a second city, softer, almost secret." Adrian replied.
They walked in silence for a while, the rhythm of their steps falling in sync. Elena tried not to overthink it, but every brush of his shoulder against hers sent a spark racing through her.
Eventually, they found a bench overlooking the river. Adrian sat first, stretching his legs out casually, while Elena folded her hands in her lap, trying to calm the restless energy inside her.
"Tell me something you've never told anyone," he said suddenly, his voice light but his gaze steady.
She blinked. "That's… a bold request."
"Not a secret, necessarily. Just… something real."
Elena hesitated, then let her eyes drift to the water. "When I was little, I used to believe the stars were messages from people who were too far away to reach me. Like… if I looked long enough, maybe I could understand what they were saying."
Adrian didn't laugh, as she half-feared he might. Instead, he leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. "That's beautiful," he said softly. "And lonely."
Her chest tightened. "Maybe a little of both."
The silence that followed wasn't awkward. If anything, it stretched like a bridge between them distance, yes, but also connection. She felt the weight of his presence beside her, the warmth of it in the cool night air.
"What about you?" she asked, turning the question back on him.
Adrian paused and said, "I guess… I've always felt like I'm searching for something I can't name. Every photo I take, every place I go it's like I'm chasing a piece of it, hoping it'll fit."
Elena's breath caught at the rawness in his voice. For a moment, she wanted to close the distance between them, to tell him she understood, even if she couldn't explain why. But the words tangled on her tongue, unspoken.
Across the distance, their eyes met. Neither moved, but the current of something unspoken pulsed stronger than before. It was there in the way his gaze lingered, in the way her fingers itched to reach across the bench, in the way the night seemed to hold its breath.
But neither of them broke the moment.
Instead, Adrian lifted his camera and, without asking, snapped a quick photo of her against the river's glow.
"Hey!" she protested, though her cheeks warmed.
He grinned, lowering the camera. "Some things deserve to be remembered."
Elena rolled her eyes, but inside, her heart stuttered. Because part of her wanted to believe he wasn't talking about the river, or the stars, or even the city. He was talking about her.