By 6:30 PM, I was already dressed.
Which made no sense… because I wasn't supposed to care this much.
I stood in front of my mirror, adjusting my outfit for what felt like the tenth time.
Simple. That's what I was going for.
Nothing too serious. Nothing that said I tried too hard.
But still…
I wanted to look good.
For him.
"God, Nia," I sighed at my reflection. "Get a grip."
My phone buzzed.
Right on time.
Ethan:
I'm outside.
My heart skipped.
I grabbed my bag, took one last look at myself, and headed out.
The moment I stepped outside…
I saw him.
Leaning against a sleek black car like he belonged in a movie scene. The streetlight hit just enough of his face to highlight that same calm, unreadable expression.
Like nothing ever shook him.
And somehow…
That made me more nervous.
"You're early," I said as I walked up to him.
"You're late," he replied.
I frowned. "It's 6:58."
"I don't like waiting," he said simply.
I shook my head, trying not to smile.
"There's that again."
"What?"
"That attitude."
"It's not an attitude," he said, opening the car door for me. "It's honesty."
I hesitated for half a second before getting in.
The car smelled expensive.
Clean. Quiet. Controlled.
Just like him.
He got in on the driver's side, starting the engine without saying much.
For a moment, silence filled the space between us.
"You look nice," he said finally.
Simple.
But the way he said it…
It lingered.
"Thank you," I replied softly.
He glanced at me briefly before focusing back on the road.
"You were worried about what to wear."
It wasn't a question.
I turned to him. "Are you always this… observant?"
"Yes."
I exhaled.
"Not everything needs to be analyzed, you know."
"I'm not analyzing," he said calmly. "I'm noticing."
That word again.
Noticing.
We drove for a while before I realized something.
"You never told me where we're going."
"You'll see."
I frowned slightly.
"That sounds suspicious."
"It's not."
"How do I know that?"
He glanced at me again.
This time, there was something different in his eyes.
Something sharper.
"You don't," he said.
My chest tightened.
That was the first moment…
Something really didn't feel right.
But before I could say anything else, the car slowed to a stop.
We had arrived at a quiet, upscale restaurant—soft lights glowing, calm atmosphere, nothing like the chaos of the club where we first met.
"After you," he said, stepping out.
Inside, everything felt… intentional.
The setting. The silence. The space.
Like this wasn't random.
Like it had been planned.
We sat across from each other, a small table between us.
For the first time since I met him…
I felt exposed.
"So," I said, breaking the silence, "what do you actually do?"
There it was.
A simple question.
Ethan leaned back slightly, his expression unreadable.
"I work in business."
I blinked.
"That's… very vague."
"It's enough."
I stared at him.
Waiting.
But he didn't add anything.
"You're not going to explain?" I asked.
"No."
Just like that.
Calm. Final.
I let out a small laugh, more out of disbelief than amusement.
"You're very secretive."
"I told you that already."
"You didn't tell me," I said. "You showed me."
For a second…
Something flickered in his eyes.
Then it was gone.
"And you still came," he said quietly.
I paused.
Because he was right.
Again.
"I could still leave," I said, even though I didn't move.
"You could," he agreed.
Silence.
"But you won't," he added.
My heart skipped.
"Why are you so sure?" I asked.
He leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping just enough to pull me in.
"Because you're curious," he said.
"And curiosity…"
A faint smirk touched his lips.
"…is dangerous."
I swallowed.
The waiter came, breaking the moment, and we ordered.
But my mind wasn't on the food.
It was on him.
On his words.
On the feeling that I was sitting across from someone I didn't understand at all.
"Tell me something real," I said again.
He looked at me.
Long.
Carefully.
Then he spoke.
"I don't lie to people I care about."
My chest tightened slightly.
It sounded honest.
It felt honest.
And for some reason…
I believed him.
But what I didn't know…
What I couldn't see yet—
Was that he had just told his first real lie.