"Sorry," he said, glancing briefly at his watch. "I'm a bit late, right?"
His gaze lifted to meet hers.
"Mira told me to pick you up. She messaged you."
She blinked, her mind blank for a moment.
Right—her phone.
She scrambled to take it out, fingers clumsy as she checked the screen.
There it was.She thought.
Mira: Aiden will pick you. I'm already near the theater.
"Oh…" she breathed.
He was right.
Of course he was right.
Another strand of hair flew across her face, this time sticking to her lip.
She tried to brush it away, but her fingers felt slow.
Before she could fix it—
His hand lifted.
She didn't see it coming.
It just… happened.
His fingers moved toward her face carefully, almost hesitating midair, as if asking a silent question.
Then they touched.
Not her cheek fully.
Just enough to gather the strand of hair that the wind refused to leave alone.
His fingers brushed her skin lightly.
The contact was brief.
But it burned.
Her breath stopped.
She didn't move.
Didn't blink.
He tucked the strand behind her ear slowly.
She was aware of everything.
The warmth of his fingers.
The faint scent of his cologne reached her. Like clean, subtle, something fresh and calm. It wasn't the same one she remembered from the bus.
Not that soft, almost baby-like scent from before.
The quiet sound of fabric shifting when he stepped closer.
She realized she was staring at him.
Their eyes met.
For a second too long.
"Oh," he said softly, withdrawing his hand. "Your hair… it keeps flying everywhere."
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"Sorry."
Sorry?
For touching her?
Her heart began beating so loudly she was certain it could be heard over the wind.
"Let's go," he added calmly. "Mira's waiting."
As if nothing had happened.
As if that small moment hadn't just rearranged something inside her.
He walked past her to the passenger side and opened the door.
He didn't look at her this time.
He simply held it open and tilted his head slightly, signaling her to get in.
Lily forced her feet to move.
"Thank you," she whispered, her voice barely steady.
She slipped into the seat, smoothing her dress automatically. The leather felt cool against her legs.
He closed the door gently, the sound firm but not loud.
What am I going to do with him…
She covered her face with both hands for a second, hoping the darkness would calm her.
He gets closer every day.
Her fingertips pressed against her burning cheeks.
He nearly touched my face— no, he did touch my face.
And he looked completely unaffected.
She lowered her hands quickly when she heard the driver's door open.
He entered the car with the same composed movements. The scent of his cologne filled the small space more clearly now.
And the car carried his scent, clean and calm. It felt almost too intimate, like being wrapped in something that belonged only to him.
He started the engine.
The soft hum vibrated beneath them.
He glanced at her.
"Winslow."
Her name again.
She looked up too fast.
"Seat belt." He said.
"Oh— okay."She said it softly, her eyes falling back down.
She reached for it, fingers fumbling slightly. The metal clip slipped once before she caught it properly.
She pulled it across her body.The click didn't come.
And then she sensed the shift of his body beside her.
He leaned toward her.
Slowly.
…Her heartbeat stumbled, stealing her breath.
His hand moved near her waist, adjusting the belt gently.
"Like this," he murmured.
His knuckles brushed the fabric of her dress.
Too close.
She could feel the warmth radiating from him. The quiet sound of his breathing. The subtle crease between his brows as he focused on fastening it correctly.
Then—
Click.
He leaned back.
"There."
As if it was nothing.
As if she wasn't sitting there trying to steady her pulse.
He shifted the car into gear.
Lily stared straight ahead.
Her heartbeat refused to slow down.
And she realized something terrifying.
The wind outside had stopped.
But the storm inside her had just begun.
The engine hummed softly as the car pulled away from the curb.
For a few seconds after he started driving, neither of them spoke.
The city moved past the windows in slow streaks of evening light. Street lamps were beginning to glow. The sky had turned that soft color between gold and blue, like something undecided.
Lily kept her hands folded on her lap.
She could feel him beside her without looking.
Why did Mira send him?
She stared at the passing buildings.
I thought it would just be me and her.
Her fingers tightened slightly around the hem of her dress.
She risked a glance at him from the corner of her eye.
His posture was relaxed. One hand on the steering wheel. The other resting loosely near the gear shift. His jaw looked calm and focused.
This feels awkward…
Her heart would not slow down.
What should I say? How do I start a conversation with him without sounding strange?
"Winslow."
His voice cut gently through her thoughts.
She almost jumped.
"Yes—?" she answered too quickly, eyes dropping to her hands immediately.
She became aware of how tightly she was gripping her own fingers.
"Am I that handsome?" he asked casually, a faint smile playing at the corner of his mouth. "You didn't stop staring at me."
Her head snapped toward him.
"I— no— I didn't mean to— I was just—"
Her words tangled. She could feel heat climbing up her neck.
He gave a soft laugh, low and warm, without a trace of mockery.
"It's okay," he said. "I'm just teasing you."
Teasing.
The word lingered.
"And," he continued, glancing at her briefly before returning his gaze to the road, "don't feel so awkward around me. I'm your friend too. You can be yourself."
Friend.
The word pressed against her chest in a different way than Mira's did.
Teasing me… are we that close already?
She watched his profile.
There was no strain in his expression, no hint that he thought this moment meant anything more
Be myself…
She swallowed.
"I'm not awkward," she started softly.
Then she corrected herself.
"I mean… maybe I am a little. I'm just not very talkative with boys. So… I'll try."
Her voice came out honest. Slightly fragile.
He glanced at her again.
This time his eyes held hers for a fraction longer.
As if he was hearing her properly for the first time.
"That's fine with me," he said. "I'll help you be less awkward around boys."
There was something steady in the way he said it, not arrogance, not ego. Just a calm certainty that made her heart shift.
A small smile formed on her lips before she could stop it.
"Okay… senior," she replied.
She didn't dare say his name.
She wasn't ready for how it might feel.
He clicked his tongue softly.
"Winslow," he said, voice dipping slightly lower, "you can say my name. We're friends. No need for titles."
Her heartbeat skipped.
Say his name.
She looked down at her lap again.
"Oh… okay."
But she didn't say it.
She couldn't.
That's what I'm afraid of, she admitted silently. If I say it… it will feel too real.
She cleared her throat and asked a question, hoping it would change the direction of things.
"So… how old are you? I'm twenty this year. Same as Mira."
She finally asked the question that had been sitting in her mind. She didn't understand why his age mattered so much to her.
"Yeah, I know," he said smoothly.
She blinked.
He knows?
"I'm twenty-three," he added, steering the car into the parking lot. "So you should respect your senior a little."
There was that teasing tone again.
But her mind stayed on something else.
He knows my age.
She hadn't told him directly before.
Maybe he heard it from Mira, she thought.
The car stopped.
For a second, neither of them moved.
He told me to treat him like a friend… to use his name…
She pressed her lips together slightly.
But he still calls me Winslow.
"Winslow," he said again gently. "We're here."
He reached across her body to unbuckle her seatbelt.
Her breath caught before she could prepare.
His fingers brushed lightly against her waist as he pressed the release button.
The belt slid away with a soft click.
"There," he murmured.
He stepped out first.
The cool evening air rushed into the car when he opened her door from the outside.
She carefully stepped out, smoothing her dress instinctively.
"Thank you," she said, barely above a whisper.
As she straightened, her hair shifted forward again with the breeze.
A soft strand of her hair brushed against his hand, and she didn't notice.
He paused, just for a moment.
It was barely noticeable.
He didn't say anything.
He simply closed the door and slipped his coat over his shoulders.
They began walking toward the theater.
Side by side.
Close enough that she could feel the warmth of him through the thin space between them.
He adjusted his pace without announcing it, matching hers naturally.
She noticed.
I wore this dress today…
Her fingers lightly pinched the fabric near her hip.
It feels different. He's seeing me like this.
She felt exposed in a way she couldn't explain.
Not uncomfortable.
Just… aware.
Aware of how her steps sounded on the pavement.
Aware of how her braid rested over her shoulder.
Aware of how close his arm was.
Then she saw them.
Mira.
Jake.
And another girl standing with them.
Mira waved first, bright and animated.
Jake had his usual grin.
The other girl stood slightly closer to him.
Aiden slowed just slightly.
Not enough for others to notice.But enough for her to feel.
And suddenly the evening didn't feel simple anymore.
It felt like something fragile was about to be tested.
End of chapter 25