Chapter Thirteen — Between Pages and Promises
(Inara's pov)
The soft hum of rain had returned, pattering against the windows of Elias's living room, creating the perfect soundtrack for a long writing session. I kicked off my damp shoes and settled on the floor with my notebook, tossing Elias a pen.
"You know," he said, leaning back against the couch, "I think we're making history here."
"History?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah," he grinned. "The first ever co-authored masterpiece by two ridiculously brilliant people."
I rolled my eyes, laughing. "Ridiculously brilliant, huh? I like the sound of that."
For the next hour, we wrote, debated, and occasionally teased each other over lines of dialogue. Every so often, our knees brushed, fingers accidentally lingered over the same page, and every time, I felt that familiar warmth curling in my chest.
"You know," he said suddenly, leaning closer to read a sentence, "this line is perfect. But it could use… more honesty. Like how you actually feel while writing it."
I blinked at him. "Me?"
"Yes," he whispered, just above the sound of the rain. "You. Your thoughts, your heart. Let it shine."
I swallowed hard, trying not to think about how close he was. My pen hovered over the paper, but I couldn't write a word.
We paused to stretch, leaning back against the couch, notebooks on our laps. Outside, the rain had softened to a gentle drizzle.
"Do you ever think about… us?" he asked quietly.
I froze, heart thumping. "Us?"
He nodded, looking anywhere but directly at me. "I mean… I don't want to ruin anything, but… we've been together so much lately, and I—" He stopped, like the words were stuck in his throat.
I felt my cheeks heat, suddenly aware of how close he was, how soft his voice sounded, the way the light from the window caught in his hair.
"And?" I whispered, leaning a fraction closer.
"And…" He took a deep breath, hand brushing mine accidentally-on-purpose. "Would you… be my girlfriend?"
My heart skipped, then did a full somersault. "You mean… like officially?"
"Yes," he said, voice shaking just a little. "I mean… I like you. More than like… more than I probably should have this soon. And I don't want to hide it anymore. I want everyone to know. Well… at least you."
I stared at him for a long moment, my notebook forgotten, rain tapping against the glass, everything else fading.
"Yes," I breathed finally, a laugh breaking through the nerves. "Yes, Elias Reeve. I'll be your girlfriend."
His grin was blinding, and he nudged me gently. "Really? You mean it?"
"Really," I said, smiling so wide it hurt in the best possible way.
"Good," he said, leaning a little closer. "Because I've been planning how to celebrate this for weeks."
I laughed, leaning back slightly, heart racing. "Weeks?"
"Yes," he said, eyes sparkling. "I even had a playlist ready. You're lucky I didn't write you a love poem too."
"Lucky," I agreed, shaking my head, laughing so hard my stomach hurt.
We spent the rest of the afternoon writing, occasionally stopping to share quiet smiles or brush hands intentionally. Every line we added, every scene we crafted, felt like it carried a little piece of us — a promise, a memory, a warmth that would last long after the notebook was full.
At one point, Marco ran through the room, superhero cape trailing. "Save me!" he shouted.
Elias groaned but scooped him up anyway. I laughed, scribbling down a line about a clumsy superhero sidekick for the book.
Mrs. Rowan peeked in from the kitchen, smiling softly. "Dinner in ten, lovebirds," she teased.
"Lovebirds?" I whispered, laughing.
Elias nudged me, eyes full of mischief. "Technically, yes."
By the time I left, the rain had stopped entirely, leaving the street glistening under the evening sky. Elias walked me to the gate, umbrella forgotten in the living room.
"Tomorrow?" he asked, voice soft.
"Tomorrow," I said, smiling.
And as I walked home, notebook clutched under my arm, I realized the story I'd been writing wasn't just about Elara anymore.
It was about us.
It always had been.
End of Chapter Thirteen