ADELINE'S POV
I told myself it was nothing.
A skipped heartbeat meant nothing.
A slight hitch in my breath meant nothing.
Except it happened everytime I saw him.
And that was the problem.
Today, I visited my boyfriend's dad alongside my boyfriend Christopher, for the fifth time in two months. I had to admit Chris absolutely adored his dad, and I couldn't blame him.
It was just the two of them now. Chris's mom died during childbirth, or so he'd told me, and his dad had been alone ever since raising him on his own.
Marshall was a really great dad. Chris went on non-stop about him everyday and I didn't blame him. Spending these few rare moments with Chris and his Dad had made me fully realize that Chris was one of the lucky guys in the world to land such a great man as a father.
Chris and I were having dinner at the family home, waiting for his dad to return. Chris wanted to surprise him.
The door opened.
He walked in - Marshall.
As I lifted my eyes from the dining table, my gaze locked with his, and my heart skipped.
I didn't understand it, but for some reason my breath changed whenever I was around him. I couldn't even look at his eyes properly. They looked like dark orbs trying to suck me in.
In all my twenty-two years of life, I had never seen a man so gorgeous it made my breath hitch.
I hated it.
I hated that I noticed tiny details about him-how he walked, how he furrowed his brows when thinking or when things didn't go his way, how he talked, how he crossed his legs so majestically when he sat. And how he looked at his son with such doting eyes.
It made me wonder, when he would look at me like that.
What am I thinking?
I love my boyfriend. I know I do. Marshall is just attractive -thats all there is to it.
"Adeline", he called my name.
And the resolve I'd tried so hard to build crumbled as I looked up at him.
My body knew before my mind admitted it.
This had been happening for far too long.
And it wasn't going away.
THE SPACE BETWEEN US
"Good evening", I greeted awkwardly as I stood.
"Good evening Dad", Chris said warmly.
"Good evening son", Marshall replied, smiling as he gestured for the both of us to sit.
He turned to me and nodded politely - calm, composed - but his eyes lingered half a second too long. Long enough to feel intentional.
Dinner continued as though nothing had changed.
Chris talked easily, laughing as he told stories from work, filling the space with familiarity. I smiled when I was supposed to, nodded when it felt right - but my attention kept slipping, drawn towards the man sitting across from me.
Marshall didn't stare. He didn't even look at me most of the time. And somehow that made it worse.
There was nothing obvious about it. Nothing inappropriate. And somehow, that made it harder to ignore.
I reached for the jug.
At the same time, Marshall did too.
Our fingers almost touched- close enough that I felt the absence of contact like a spark that never landed. I pulled back too quickly, my heart stuttering in my chest, and pretended nothing had happened. I wasn't sure if he noticed.
Chris kept the conversation going, completely unaware of the undercurrent moving beneath the table. Words passed between him and his father, easy and unremarkable while something unspoken tightened in the room.
I became hyper-aware of Marshall.
Of the way he glanced at me when Chris wasn't looking.
Of the way he looked away just as quickly when I caught him.
Chris stepped away to take a call, promising he'd be right back.
Marshall and I were alone for a brief moment.
Not long enough for comfort.
Not long enough for escape.
The silence settled heavily between us. I noticed my breathing - too loud in the quiet and focused on my plate, hoping he wouldn't speak.
"You look different today", he said.
My fork nearly slipped from my fingers.
I looked up at him, "Different? How?".
"You seem nervous", he said gently, "Are you okay?".
"Yeah- yes, I'm fine", I replied too quickly. "It's just the caffeine. I had coffee a short while before you arrived".
I didn't let him see a trace of what was really going on in my head.
"Oh", he said after a beat..."You should really limit caffeine intake, for your health".
I nodded, forcing a smile.
Maybe I imagined it.
But the way he looked at me, it felt like he saw me.
Not just standing there, not just as Chris's partner.
Me.
Chris walked back in before I could say anything else. He announced we had to leave...work had come up, something urgent. I stood immediately, my movements rushed, forgetting to say a proper farewell as we headed out the door.
As we left, one thought lingered in my mind, refusing to let go.
If this was one-sided...
Why did it feel like we were both holding our breath?.