Luna arrived at the restaurant and spotted Max waiting for her at the bar.
He looked handsome and relaxed, sipping on a glass of wine.
As she approached, Max stood up and smiled, opening his arms for a hug.
"It's so great to see you, Luna," he said, holding her close.
Luna hugged him back, feeling happy to be reunited with her old friend.
"It's great to see you too, Max," she replied.
They sat down at their table and ordered dinner, chatting and laughing as they waited for their food to arrive.
Max told Luna all about his travels and adventures since they last saw each other, and Luna filled him in on how she had been going about her life at the vineyard.
As the night wore on, Luna found herself feeling more and more at ease with Max.
She had forgotten how much she enjoyed his company, and how easy it was to talk to him.
Max and Luna sat in comfortable silence, enjoying each other's company.
But then, Max spoke up, his voice low and serious.
"Luna, can I tell you something?" he asked, his eyes locked on hers.
Luna nodded, curious.
"Of course, Max. What is it?"
Max took a deep breath.
"I've always had feelings for you, Luna. Romantic feelings. But I never said anything because I didn't want to ruin our friendship."
Luna's eyes widened in shock.
She felt like she'd been punched in the gut.
She was dumbfounded, speechless.
Max continued, his words spilling out in a rush.
"I know it's been years, and we've both grown up, but I couldn't keep it inside anymore. I had to tell you."
Luna swallowed hard, trying to process what she was hearing.
She felt uneasy, like her whole world had been turned upside down.
Max's voice brought her back to reality.
"You don't have to say anything now, Luna. I just wanted to be honest with you. You can think about it, and we can talk more later if you want."
Luna nodded, still feeling dazed.
She got into Max's car, directing him to her house in silence.
When they arrived, she got out quickly, without even saying goodbye.
She ran into her house, feeling overwhelmed.
She headed straight to her room, lying down on the bed and staring up at the ceiling.
Her mind was racing, trying to process Max's confession.