The night air hit Mia's face like a cold splash of reality.
She stepped out of the club, her heels clicking against the pavement. The city lights glowed like stars that had fallen to Earth. People moved around her, laughing and talking, but she felt completely alone.
Her phone buzzed.
Lana:
Where are you? I'm going home. Don't disappear on me again.
Mia typed quickly.
Mia:
I'm leaving now. See you tomorrow.
She slipped her phone into her bag and started walking.
She didn't know where she was going. She just needed to move.
That's when she felt it.
A shadow behind her.
A familiar presence.
She turned quickly.
Adrian stood there, hands in his pockets, his face calm like he had been waiting for her.
"Mia," he said softly.
Her heart stopped.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, trying to sound angry.
Adrian stepped closer, the night air warming between them.
"I couldn't let you leave without saying goodbye," he replied.
Mia scoffed. "Goodbye? We just met."
He smiled. "Not really. I've been watching you."
The words made her skin crawl, but she couldn't deny the effect they had on her.
Mia took a step back. "That's creepy."
Adrian's smile faded. "I'm not trying to scare you."
Mia looked into his eyes. They were intense—almost too intense.
"I don't trust people who stare," she said.
Adrian's voice softened. "Then trust me."
She stared at him. "Why should I?"
He took another step closer, closing the distance between them.
"Because I don't want to hurt you," he said quietly. "And I don't want you to walk away from something you might regret."
Mia's heart beat faster.
She didn't know why she was listening.
She didn't know why she wanted to believe him.
But something about him felt... different.
She looked up at him, her eyes searching his face.
"What do you want from me?" she asked.
Adrian's gaze dropped to her lips for a moment, then back to her eyes.
"I want to know you," he said.
Mia felt heat rise in her cheeks. "You don't even know me."
He smiled. "That's why I want to."
Mia shook her head, trying to keep her emotions under control. "You're dangerous."
Adrian's expression turned serious. "And you're tempting."
Mia's breath hitched.
Before she could react, Adrian reached out and gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
The touch was soft, intimate—like he was trying to memorize her.
Mia felt her heart race.
She didn't pull away.
Instead, she stood still, letting the moment sink in.
Adrian's eyes lowered to her lips again.
"May I kiss you?" he asked, his voice low.
Mia's breath caught.
This was the moment.
The moment she could say yes... or run.
Her body wanted to say yes.
Her mind screamed no.
But her heart didn't listen.
Mia nodded slowly.
Adrian leaned in.
His lips met hers in a kiss that was gentle at first—like a test.
Then, when she didn't pull away, the kiss deepened.
It wasn't rushed.
It wasn't rough.
It was like he was trying to learn her.
Mia felt her body melt into his embrace.
For a second, everything else disappeared.
The noise of the city.
The worries.
The past.
Only the kiss remained.
When they finally broke apart, Mia's breath was shaky.
Adrian's forehead rested against hers.
"Don't run," he whispered.
Mia stared into his eyes.
"I don't know if I can trust you," she said honestly.
Adrian nodded. "I know."
He smiled softly. "But I'm not going anywhere."
Mia felt her heart soften.
For the first time in a long time, she wanted to believe someone.
Even if it hurt later.
Adrian pulled back slightly and held her hand.
"Let me walk you home," he said.
Mia hesitated.
Then, without thinking, she nodded.
And just like that, she let him into her world.
night air hit Mia's face like a cold splash of reality.
She stepped out of the club, her heels clicking against the pavement. The city lights glowed like stars that had fallen to Earth. People moved around her, laughing and talking, but she felt completely alone.
Her phone buzzed.
Lana:
Where are you? I'm going home. Don't disappear on me again.
Mia typed quickly.
Mia:
I'm leaving now. See you tomorrow.
She slipped her phone into her bag and started walking.
She didn't know where she was going. She just needed to move.
The night felt different.
As if the air was charged with something she couldn't explain.
Then she felt it.
A shadow behind her.
A familiar presence.
She turned quickly.
Adrian stood there, hands in his pockets, his face calm like he had been waiting for her.
"Mia," he said softly.
Her heart stopped.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, trying to sound angry.
Adrian stepped closer, the night air warming between them.
"I couldn't let you leave without saying goodbye," he replied.
Mia scoffed. "Goodbye? We just met."
He smiled. "Not really. I've been watching you."
The words made her skin crawl, but she couldn't deny the effect they had on her.
Mia took a step back. "That's creepy."
Adrian's smile faded. "I'm not trying to scare you."
Mia looked into his eyes. They were intense—almost too intense.
"I don't trust people who stare," she said.
Adrian's voice softened. "Then trust me."
She stared at him. "Why should I?"
He took another step closer, closing the distance between them.
"Because I don't want to hurt you," he said quietly. "And I don't want you to walk away from something you might regret."
Mia's heart beat faster.
She didn't know why she was listening.
She didn't know why she wanted to believe him.
But something about him felt... different.
She looked up at him, her eyes searching his face.
"What do you want from me?" she asked.
Adrian's gaze dropped to her lips for a moment, then back to her eyes.
"I want to know you," he said.
Mia felt heat rise in her cheeks. "You don't even know me."
He smiled. "That's why I want to."
Mia shook her head, trying to keep her emotions under control. "You're dangerous."
Adrian's expression turned serious. "And you're tempting."
Mia's breath hitched.
Before she could react, Adrian reached out and gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
The touch was soft, intimate—like he was trying to memorize her.
Mia felt her heart race.
She didn't pull away.
Instead, she stood still, letting the moment sink in.
Adrian's eyes lowered to her lips again.
"May I kiss you?" he asked, his voice low.
Mia's breath caught.
This was the moment.
The moment she could say yes... or run.
Her body wanted to say yes.
Her mind screamed no.
But her heart didn't listen.
Mia nodded slowly.
Adrian leaned in.
His lips met hers in a kiss that was gentle at first—like a test.
Then, when she didn't pull away, the kiss deepened.
It wasn't rushed.
It wasn't rough.
It was like he was trying to learn her.
Mia felt her body melt into his embrace.
For a second, everything else disappeared.
The noise of the city.
The worries.
The past.
Only the kiss remained.
When they finally broke apart, Mia's breath was shaky.
Adrian's forehead rested against hers.
"Don't run," he whispered.
Mia stared into his eyes.
"I don't know if I can trust you," she said honestly.
Adrian nodded. "I know."
He smiled softly. "But I'm not going anywhere."
Mia felt her heart soften.
For the first time in a long time, she wanted to believe someone.
Even if it hurt later.
Adrian pulled back slightly and held her hand.
"Let me walk you home," he said.
Mia hesitated.
Then, without thinking, she nodded.
And just like that, she let him into her world.
⸻
The Walk Home
The city was quieter now.
The rush of the night had faded, leaving only the soft hum of distant traffic.
Adrian kept his hand gently around hers, not too tight, not too loose—like he was trying to respect her space.
Mia could feel his warmth.
She could feel his presence.
And she hated how comfortable it made her feel.
They walked in silence for a few minutes, the kind of silence that wasn't awkward, but intimate.
"You're not like other men," Mia said quietly.
Adrian's gaze softened. "What makes you say that?"
Mia glanced at him. "Most men look at a woman like she's a prize. Like they're trying to win something."
Adrian nodded. "And you?"
Mia hesitated. "I don't want to be a prize."
Adrian stopped walking and turned to face her.
His expression was serious.
"I don't see you as a prize," he said. "I see you as a person."
Mia's heart fluttered.
"You don't even know me," she whispered.
"I know enough," he said softly.
Mia looked down, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks.
Then she looked back up.
"What do you know?" she asked.
Adrian's eyes darkened. "That you're the kind of woman who doesn't let anyone get close. And that makes you more beautiful than you realize."
Mia's breath caught.
She didn't know what to say.
So she didn't say anything.
Adrian stepped closer, closing the distance between them.
His hand lifted to her face, gently cupping her cheek.
Mia felt her knees weaken.
"You're safe with me," he whispered.
Mia's eyes widened.
She wanted to believe him.
She wanted to trust him.
But her past whispered otherwise.
"What if you're not?" she asked.
Adrian's voice was firm. "Then I'll lose you."
Mia felt her heart ache.
She didn't want to lose him.
She didn't want to admit that she was already falling.
But she was.
Adrian leaned in again, and this time his kiss was deeper.
It was slow, passionate, and full of longing.
Mia wrapped her arms around his neck.
For a moment, she forgot everything.
She forgot her fear.
She forgot her past.
She forgot that she didn't trust anyone.
All she felt was him.
And the way he made her feel alive.
When they finally broke apart, Mia's breath was shallow.
Adrian smiled, his eyes soft and warm.
"You're beautiful," he whispered.
Mia's cheeks burned.
She didn't know how to respond.
So she simply looked at him.
And for the first time in a long time, she didn't feel alone.