The night air was thick with salt, carried by the sea breeze that always lingered in their small coastal town. Music from a neighbor's radio drifted faintly through the quiet streets as Lianne stumbled out of her friend's house. Her cheeks were warm, her steps uneven—she wasn't used to drinking, but tonight she had.
She hugged herself, laughing at her own clumsiness, until she saw him.
Nathan.
He was leaning casually against the gate of their school, his hands tucked in his pockets, head tilted toward the stars. The boy she had secretly admired since freshman year. The boy whose smile could undo her in seconds.
Her heart skipped, then hammered. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was fate, but courage surged inside her.
"Nathan!" she called, louder than she meant to.
He turned, eyebrows raising when he saw her. "Lianne? What are you doing out here? You're… uh, are you okay?"
She giggled, covering her mouth. "I'm fine. Just… maybe a little dizzy."
He walked closer, his footsteps steady against the quiet pavement. "You shouldn't be out here alone if you've been drinking."
Lianne bit her lip, staring up at him. Her crush—her secret—was right here, close enough to touch. And for the first time, she didn't want to keep it hidden.
"Can I ask you something?" Her voice was shaky, but she forced herself to continue. "Do you… have a girlfriend?"
Nathan blinked, caught off guard. "…No. I don't."
The world seemed to pause. Her heart pounded in her ears, but she pushed the words out anyway. "Then… can I be your girlfriend?"
Silence.
Nathan just looked at her, his expression unreadable. For a second, she wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole. Heat rushed to her face, and she stammered, "I—forget I said that, I was just—"
But Nathan didn't let her finish. He pulled his phone from his pocket and unlocked it, his voice calm.
"Give me your number," he said.
Lianne froze. "…What?"
"Your number." He looked at her directly, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I'll give you mine."
Her hands trembled as she typed her digits into his phone. He did the same with hers. For a moment, they just stood there, the only sound the faint rush of the sea behind them.
Then Nathan slipped his phone back into his pocket. "Go home, Lianne. Get some rest."
She nodded quickly, her face burning. As she turned to leave, she whispered to herself, What did I just do?
That night, lying in bed, she buried her face in her pillow, mortified by her boldness. He probably thinks I'm ridiculous. I shouldn't have said that…
But then—her phone rang.
Her breath caught when she saw his name flashing on the screen. With trembling hands, she answered. "H-Hello?"
Nathan's voice was calm, steady. "Lianne… were you serious earlier?"
Her heart stopped. She swallowed hard. "…Yes. I was serious."
A silence followed, filled only by the sound of his quiet breathing. Then, softly, he said,
"Then from now on… you're mine."
And in that moment, Lianne realized—her crazy, drunken courage had just started the love story she had always dreamed of.