Chapter Four – Almost
The park was quiet, lit by rows of amber streetlights that threw long shadows across the path. The air smelled faintly of cut grass and rain, the kind of night that carried both stillness and possibility.
Nayah walked beside Rina, clutching the empty smoothie cup she hadn't even finished. She didn't know why she agreed to this walk, only that saying no to Rina always felt impossible.
"So," Rina said, hands stuffed in her pockets, her tone light but deliberate. "Tell me something true. No safe answers. No boring 'I like chocolate' type of stuff."
Nayah glanced at her. "And if I don't?"
"Then I'll just make something up about you," Rina teased, grinning. "Probably something scandalous."
Nayah chuckled under her breath, shaking her head. "Fine. Something true…" She thought for a moment, eyes on the path ahead. "I hate small talk. I'd rather sit in silence than pretend to care about the weather."
Rina chuckled, her eyes shining. "That's not boring. That's sexy."
"Silence is sexy?" Nayah asked, raising a brow.
"With the right person, yeah."
The words landed heavier than Nayah expected. She swallowed, her chest tightening in ways she didn't want to admit. "Your turn."
Rina hummed like she was pretending to think, but her grin gave her away. "Okay. Something true… I've been imagining what your mouth tastes like since the day I met you at the gym."
Nayah stopped walking, nearly choking on air. "You—what?"
"You heard me."
The words hung between them, so bold and shameless that Nayah didn't know whether to laugh, run, or lean closer. Heat climbed her neck, flushing her skin. "You're unbelievable."
"Mm," Rina murmured, leaning just a little closer, her grin wicked. "But you're still here. So maybe you like it."
Nayah's chest felt too tight. She started walking again, if only to keep herself from combusting, but her thoughts were spinning. Every step felt like a countdown to something she wasn't ready for but wanted anyway.
They walked in silence for a while, their shoulders brushing once, twice, each accidental touch sparking heat through her. The quiet wasn't awkward—it was thick, charged, like the pause between lightning and thunder.
Then Rina reached out suddenly, catching Nayah's wrist and pulling her to a stop beneath a streetlight. The glow painted Rina's features in gold, and for the first time all night, she wasn't smirking. She was just looking at her—intensely, unblinking.
Nayah's breath caught. "What are you doing?" she whispered.
Rina didn't answer immediately. Her gaze traced over Nayah's face, her lips, then back to her eyes. Slowly, deliberately, her hand slid from Nayah's wrist to her fingers, lacing them together like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Nayah's pulse pounded. Her whole body felt too aware, too alive.
Rina stepped closer. Just enough for Nayah to feel her warmth. Her free hand rose, brushing her knuckles lightly against Nayah's jaw. The touch was soft, maddeningly soft, as though she was daring Nayah to break.
"You're trembling," Rina whispered.
"I'm not," Nayah whispered back, her voice thin, betraying her.
"You are." Rina's lips curved faintly, her eyes dropping to Nayah's mouth. For a heartbeat, for one impossible second, Nayah thought this was it—thought Rina's lips would finally meet hers and end this unbearable pull. Her own lips parted, her body leaning forward without permission.
The air between them burned. Nayah could taste the promise of it, feel the world tightening around just the two of them.
And then Rina pulled back. Just a fraction. Just enough to leave Nayah dizzy with need.
"Not tonight," Rina murmured, her voice low, velvet, wicked. "I like watching you wait."
Frustration and longing clashed in Nayah's chest, leaving her trembling for real now.
Rina's hand gave hers one last, gentle squeeze before she slipped her fingers free and shoved them back into her pockets. Her smirk returned, lighter now, as if nothing had happened. "Come on. I'll walk you home."
And Nayah followed, her steps unsteady, her whole body still buzzing. She didn't know what scared her more—the fact that Rina hadn't kissed her, or the fact that when she finally did, Nayah knew she wouldn't survive it.