The car glided through the city streets like a shadow. Aria sat pressed against the cool leather seat, her backpack balanced on her lap, while her heart drummed wildly in her chest. She tried not to stare, but it was impossible. Adrian Knight her celebrity crush, her untouchable star was sitting right beside her, tapping his fingers restlessly against his knee.
She wanted to say something anything but the words refused to come out. Instead, silence hung heavy in the car, broken only by the faint hum of the engine.
Finally, Adrian turned his head, pulling off his shades. His eyes were darker than she'd imagined, tired yet searching, like he carried more weight than a seventeen year old should.
"You're quiet," he said softly.
Aria gripped the straps of her bag. "What am I supposed to say? You… you picked me up in a car like I'm part of some spy movie."
That earned her a faint chuckle, and something in her chest fluttered at the sound. "Fair point." He ran a hand through his messy hair. "I didn't mean to scare you. I just… had to make sure you're safe."
"Safe from what?" she asked, her voice lower now, hesitant.
His jaw tightened. "Paparazzi. They've been tracking me everywhere since I landed. Last night, someone followed me. If they figure out you were with me…" He trailed off, and the tension in his shoulders said more than words could.
Aria's mind raced. This wasn't the glamorous side of celebrity life she'd imagined. The flashing cameras, the adoring fans it all looked perfect on screen. But up close? It was dangerous. Lonely. Heavy.
The car slowed, turning into an underground garage beneath a sleek glass building. Adrian's driver parked, and Adrian gestured for her to follow.
Aria hesitated. "Where are we?"
"My temporary apartment," he said. "Don't worry. No one knows I'm here."
Something in his tone told her he wasn't lying. She stepped out, her sneakers squeaking faintly against the polished floor. Inside, the apartment was modern but surprisingly bare no fancy chandeliers or golden trophies. Just white walls, scattered sheets of music, and an unmade couch that doubled as a bed.
"This is… not what I expected," Aria said honestly.
Adrian raised a brow. "What? You were expecting velvet curtains and gold plated guitars?"
She bit her lip, embarrassed. "Maybe a little."
He smirked, dropping his bag on the couch. "Trust me, that's all for the cameras. This " he gestured around the room "is the real me."
For the first time, Aria saw not the superstar, but the boy underneath the one who left his socks on the floor, who scribbled half finished lyrics in notebooks, who carried shadows in his eyes that no spotlight could erase.
Her gaze fell to one of the notebooks. On the open page, lyrics sprawled in messy handwriting: "Falling isn't dangerous until someone sees you crash."
Aria touched the edge of the paper gently. "This is yours?"
Adrian froze. For a moment, she thought he might snap at her for snooping, but instead, he nodded slowly. "Yeah. A song I've been working on."
"It's… beautiful," she whispered. "But sad."
"Most real things are," he murmured.
Silence filled the space again, heavy but not uncomfortable this time. Aria didn't know what was happening why he was letting her see this part of him, why her chest tightened whenever his eyes lingered on hers but she knew one thing: her life wasn't going to be the same after this.
Adrian leaned against the couch, his expression thoughtful. "You're probably wondering why I even bothered with you. Why I didn't just… keep running."
Aria swallowed. "The thought crossed my mind."
He looked at her then really looked, like she wasn't just another face in the crowd. "Because you didn't scream. You didn't ask for a picture. You just… sat there and treated me like a person."
Her breath caught. She wasn't used to being seen like that. Not by boys at school, not by anyone. But by him? The boy with millions of fans? It felt unreal.
Before she could reply, a sharp buzz filled the room. Adrian's phone lit up on the table. He grabbed it, his jaw tightening as he read the screen.
"What is it?" Aria asked.
He sighed. "My manager. He's furious I went off radar last night. If he finds out I'm not alone right now " He cut himself off, shoving the phone face down.
Aria's stomach twisted. She shouldn't be here. This wasn't her world. But part of her didn't want to leave.
"Maybe I should go," she whispered, half-hoping he'd agree.
But Adrian shook his head almost instantly. "No. Not yet. Please."
The rawness in his voice made her heart ache. This wasn't about fanfiction daydreams anymore. This was real. Dangerous.
She sat back down, her knees brushing his. Electricity rushed through her veins at the contact. Adrian looked at her with a faint smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"Being famous…" he said quietly, "it feels like everyone owns a piece of me. But with you? For the first time in forever, I feel like I can breathe."
And just like that, Aria knew she was falling falling faster than she should, into a world where secrets burned brighter than the stars.