Olivia's POV
The next morning, I thought my alarm would wake me, but instead I felt a gentle, warm embrace around my waist.
Before I could open my eyes, Adrian's lips brushed my neck in a soft kiss.
"Good morning," he whispered, his voice still rough with sleep. "Let's go out today. It's Sunday. The market is the best on Sundays."
I made a small sound, half groan and half laugh, and buried my face in the pillow.
"Do we have to go so early?" I mumbled.
He chuckled and tightened his arms for a second.
"If we go late, it'll be too crowded."
I slowly turned to face him and opened my eyes. His hair was messy, and his eyes were bright in a way that made it hard to say no.
"Okay, okay," I said.
"That's my girl," he replied, kissing my forehead. "I'll go wake Noah up before he sleeps the whole day."
He pulled away and got out of bed. I watched him leave the room, then stretched and reached for my phone on the nightstand. My body still felt heavy with sleep, but a small part of me was excited about going out together.
Noah's POV
I was already awake and fixing my pillows when my door suddenly burst open. The loud sound made me jump, and my heart raced for a second.
Adrian walked in with a huge smile on his face. It was so wide it almost scared me.
"Good, you're up!" he said. "Get dressed. We're going to the Sunday market. The three of us."
I blinked at him.
"Uh, good morning to you, too," I said. "You don't knock, do you?"
He laughed, unbothered.
"Not today," he said.
Before I could answer, he turned around and left, still smiling to himself.
"The Sunday market, huh…" I muttered.
I changed my clothes, choosing something simple but clean. I checked myself in the mirror and shook my head.
Later, I stepped out of my room and walked toward the living room. Olivia was there, standing near the couch, fidgeting with her phone. Her hair fell over one shoulder, and she bit her lip lightly as she read something on the screen.
I slowed my steps.
For a second, I thought about sneaking behind her and giving her a back hug, to see her reaction, to feel her close. My hands even lifted a little, ready to reach out.
But before I could move, the front door swung open, and Adrian came in, looking at both of us.
I froze in place, my arms immediately dropping to my sides.
"There you are," he said. "You two ready?"
I forced a smile and shoved my hands into my pockets.
"Yeah," I said.
Olivia turned, finally noticing me behind her. Her eyes met mine, and she smiled.
"Oh, Noah. Are you ready?" she asked.
I just nodded.
Without warning, she reached out and grabbed my hand.
"Let's go."
She pulled me toward the door. The way her fingers wrapped around mine sent a rush of butterflies into my stomach. My hand felt hot, and suddenly I was very aware of every step we took.
Adrian glanced back at us and grinned.
"Look at you two, moving fast," he joked.
I tried to laugh it off, but inside, my heart was beating way too fast for a simple Sunday market trip.
Olivia's POV
Later, as we stepped into the busy Sunday market, the air changed. There were people everywhere, voices mixing like a song—vendors calling out, children laughing, someone playing music in the distance. The smell of food, spices, and something sweet wrapped around us.
At first, I didn't notice when it happened. One moment, I was holding Noah's arm, guiding him through the crowd. The next moment, his hand had slid down, and his fingers were wrapped around my arm instead.
I looked at his hand on my arm and felt a chill run through me, even though the air was warm. Something inside me whispered: Don't let go.
I didn't.
We kept walking like that, his hand gentle but steady on my arm.
As we moved deeper into the market, more people started coming from every direction. Adrian was walking in front of us, weaving through the crowd. He suddenly turned around to check on us.
"Stay close," he called out.
I panicked a little and quickly pulled my arm from Noah's grip. Adrian stepped toward me, took my hand, and squeezed it.
"Hold on tight," he said. "There are too many people. You might get hurt if you get pushed around."
His hand was firm and protective. I nodded.
"Okay," I said quietly.
On my other side, Noah moved closer. This time, he grabbed my arm again, but more playfully.
"I gotta hold tight too," he said with a smirk. "Or I might get lost."
My heart skipped at his words, but I forced my face to stay calm.
We walked like that for a while, squeezed together, surrounded by bright stalls and colorful items—clothes, fruits, toys, and all kinds of food.
We stopped in front of a stall selling fish fritters. The oil was sizzling in a large pan, and the smell was strong and savory.
"This is my favorite," Adrian said with a grin. "Noah, you have to try this."
The vendor handed us a plate of golden fish fritters with small sticks. Adrian gave one to Noah, who stared at it like it was something dangerous.
Noah held the plate at a distance.
"Wait," he said slowly. "This is… fish? And it's fried like this?"
Adrian and I both started laughing.
"Yes," I said. "It's not a monster."
Noah poked one fritter with his stick.
"It looks suspicious," he muttered.
Adrian rolled his eyes, then took the stick right out of Noah's hand.
"Stop overthinking," he said. He picked up a fritter and, before Noah could react, pushed it gently into his mouth. "Chew."
Noah's eyes widened in shock, but he started chewing anyway. For a moment, his face stayed serious, like he was judging every flavor. Then, slowly, a small smile appeared.
Adrian looked at me with raised eyebrows.
"Success," he said, as if he had just completed a mission.
I smiled and turned back to Noah.
"So? What do you think?" I asked.
He swallowed and nodded.
"It's… good," he said. "Really good, actually."
He reached for another piece, then another. Soon, he had cleared the whole plate.
"You ate that fast," I teased.
"Don't judge me," he replied, but he was smiling now, more relaxed than before.
We moved from stall to stall, the three of us walking close together.
At one stall, we tried sticky rice with coconut and a special caramel drizzle that the market was known for. The rice was warm and soft, the caramel sweet and rich.
"This is amazing," I said with my mouth half full.
"Careful, you'll choke," Adrian said, laughing.
Noah took a bite, and his eyes lit up.
"I could eat ten of these," he said.
"Please don't," I replied. "I don't want to roll you home."
Next, Adrian pointed toward another stall.
"Noah, you should try another local specialty," he said. "You're on a food tour now."
At the next stall, an old man smiled at us and held out a tray of sweet coconut balls rolled in sugar.
"Try some," the man said kindly.
We each took one. The three of us bit into them at the same time and chewed quietly. For a brief moment, none of us spoke, like we were all guilty of enjoying too much food at once.
Adrian broke the silence.
"If we keep eating like this, we'll need to nap in the middle of the street," he said.
The market felt like a movie playing at street level. Children ran past us, laughing and chasing each other. An old woman argued with a vendor about prices, waving her hands in the air. A dog lay in the sun by a fruit stall, completely relaxed, as if the whole world was peaceful.
I picked up a small piece of grilled cassava with syrup at another stall and turned to Noah.
"Try this," I said, holding it up to him. "Only here, only this time."
He looked at me, then at the food, and took it carefully, almost like it was a gift.
"This better be good," he said softly.
He took a bite, and his face brightened.
"This is amazing," he said, smiling widely for the first time that morning. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," I answered, and my chest warmed a little at his smile.
Adrian walked over with a small paper bag in his hand.
"What did you buy?" I asked.
He pulled out three matching bracelets with small, cute trinkets attached—little stars and tiny charms shaped like tiny hearts and animals.
"These are for us," he said. "So we match. Like a team."
I laughed.
"A team?"
"Yes," he said, pretending to be serious. "The Sunday Market Squad."
Noah snorted.
"That's the worst name I've ever heard," he said. But he still held out his wrist.
Adrian tied the bracelet on Noah's wrist first, then mine, then his own.
"There," Adrian said. "Now you're stuck with me. Both of you."
"We already were," I replied, smiling.
We kept walking with our pockets full of little snacks and our wrists now matching. The sun rose higher, but the heat felt soft, wrapped in the noise and color of the market.
For a moment, everything felt simple—just three people walking, eating, talking, and pretending that nothing could break this small, bright morning.