Chapter 20: Confessions in the Rain
Monday night.
Rain tapped softly against the windows, a quiet rhythm that matched my racing heart.
I sat on the couch, trying to read, but my thoughts were tangled with Alex's.
He entered quietly, holding a blanket.
"Cold?" he asked softly, draping it over my shoulders.
I froze, feeling the warmth of him pressing close.
"I… thanks," I whispered, heart hammering.
He sat beside me, shoulder brushing mine.
The closeness was dizzying.
I wanted to speak, to confess, but the words caught in my throat.
Alex looked at me, eyes soft yet intense.
"Ethan… I can't hide it anymore," he said quietly.
"I like you. More than a friend. More than I expected."
My chest tightened.
All the teasing touches, the stolen glances, the lingering moments—they all came crashing back.
"I… I like you too," I admitted, voice barely above a whisper.
He smiled faintly, leaning closer, our foreheads almost touching.
"I've been waiting for you to say that," he murmured.
The rain outside blurred into white noise.
For the first time, everything else faded.
The apartment, the notes, the world outside—they didn't exist.
It was just us.
And in that moment, our hands found each other, fingers intertwining naturally.
Not hesitant. Not shy. Just… right.
But before we could speak again, there was a knock at the door.
A reminder that the world outside hadn't paused.
We pulled back slightly, eyes locking with a silent promise:
This isn't the end.