The drive back to the condominium was quiet, not the kind of silence that pressed against you, but the kind that felt safe.
Comfortable.
His hand rested on the steering wheel, my gaze half lost to the city lights flickering beyond the glass.
I'd never liked long drives.
They always made me think too much.
But tonight, the stillness didn't scare me. It soothed me.
When we reached the building, we walked side by side through the lobby.
The receptionist greeted us politely, her eyes darting between us with that quiet curiosity people always had when they saw us together, the perfect daughter of the Aquino family and the playful heir of the Lazaro empire.
Except, right now, we weren't those things.
We were just us.
The elevator ride was slow, the hum of machinery filling the space between us.
Calix leaned casually against the wall, eyes on me in that way that always made my heart stumble a little.
"Long day?" he asked softly.
I nodded. "But not bad."
He smiled. "That's an improvement."
When the doors opened, we stepped out onto the hallway.
Our units sat side by side, separated only by a few feet, close enough to feel his presence even when I was alone.
We stopped in front of my door.
He didn't rush to leave, and I didn't rush to go inside.
"Thank you for dinner," I said quietly.
"Thank you for coming," he replied, tilting his head slightly, eyes soft. "You look… lighter. Happier."
I smiled faintly, the kind of smile that came from somewhere real. "Maybe I am."
He chuckled low. "You're going to make me fall harder, you know that?"
I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't help the small laugh that escaped me. "You already have."
That wiped the teasing off his face.
His expression softened, gaze falling on me like I was something fragile and infinite at the same time.
He stepped closer,close enough that I could smell the faint trace of his cologne, the warmth radiating off his skin.
"I don't want to go yet," he murmured.
"Then don't."
He smiled at that, almost shyly. "You're dangerous when you say things like that."
I raised a brow. "Why?"
"Because I'll believe you," he whispered, voice low, almost reverent.
For a moment, the air between us felt charged again, quiet, slow, electric. His hand brushed against mine, and I didn't move away.
It wasn't a kiss this time.
It wasn't even a hug.
Just the soft press of his fingers against mine, a small connection that felt louder than any words.
He squeezed my hand once before letting go. "Goodnight, Aurora."
"Goodnight, Calix."
He took a step back toward his door, hesitated, and looked at me once more. "You'll dream of me, right?"
I smiled, shaking my head. "You wish."
He laughed, that low, unguarded sound I was starting to love. "See you tomorrow, Mrs. Aquino-Lazaro."
When he disappeared into his unit, I stood there for a few seconds, the hallway quiet again.
Inside my condo, everything was exactly the same as I'd left it, neat, controlled, cold. But something about it felt different now.
Lighter.
Warmer.
I leaned back against the door after locking it, closing my eyes.
I thought love was a distraction, a weakness, something that could destroy me.
But standing there, heart still thrumming from the sound of his laughter and the touch of his hand, I realized,
Love hadn't broken me.
It has softened me.
And maybe, that was the strongest I'd ever been.