Serafina's POV

The breeze was soft, brushing past her cheeks as she sat beside Aiden on the bench by the pond. The golden hue of the setting sun cast a serene glow over the water, and for a moment, it felt like time had slowed down just for them.

Serafina had never known silence could be so comforting. The world around them seemed to fade into the background as she focused on the feeling of Aiden's hand in hers, his warmth grounding her in a way she hadn't expected.

But then, without warning, she felt him shift beside her, his hand tightening around hers. She glanced up at him, meeting his eyes.

"Aiden?" she asked softly, a quiet curiosity in her voice.

He took a deep breath, looking down at their intertwined hands before speaking. "There's something I need to say."

Her heart skipped a beat. She knew this moment was different. She could feel the tension in his words, the hesitation in his voice. Whatever he was about to say, it mattered.

"Okay..." she said, unsure of what to expect.

Aiden shifted his body to face her more directly, his gaze locking with hers. "Fina, I don't know when it happened, but I've started feeling something more for you. Something I can't just brush aside."

Serafina's heart pounded in her chest as she processed his words. Could it be? Was he saying what she thought he was saying?

"I care about you," Aiden continued, his voice earnest. "A lot more than I thought I would. And I don't want to just be your friend anymore. I want to be there for you in every way I can. I don't want to see you hurt, I want to protect you, and—" He hesitated for a second, looking at their hands again before meeting her gaze. "And I want to be more than just the guy you turn to when you need support. I want to be the guy who's there for you in everything. All of it. I want to be the one you trust with everything you feel."

Serafina's breath hitched in her throat. Her mind was racing, and her heart felt like it was about to burst. She'd been so afraid to open up to him, to let herself believe that someone like Aiden could care about her the way he had. But now... now he was here, confessing it all, and it was more than she could process at once.

"Aiden," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly. "You're... you're saying you care about me like that? Like, in that way?"

He nodded, a quiet vulnerability in his eyes. "Yeah. I do. I've been trying to figure out how to say it, but I guess there's no right way to tell someone you've fallen for them."

Serafina's chest tightened as his words sank in. Her pulse quickened, and she felt that familiar rush of emotions—a blend of excitement, fear, and warmth all tangled together. She never expected this. She never thought someone like Aiden would want her, not after everything she'd been through. But here he was, laying his feelings bare.

Her voice faltered as she responded, "I... I care about you too, Aiden. More than I thought I could."

A soft smile tugged at the corner of his lips, and he leaned in slightly. "You don't have to say it back if you're not ready. I just needed you to know how I feel."

Serafina's hand, still resting in his, trembled slightly as she looked up at him. She could see it in his eyes—the same longing, the same vulnerability that she had been hiding for so long. She wasn't sure what the future held, or if she was ready to take that next step, but for the first time in a long time, she wasn't afraid to try.

"I don't know what's going to happen between us," she said, her voice steady but soft, "but I'm willing to take that chance. With you."

Aiden's smile widened, and in that moment, Serafina knew this was just the beginning of something new. She didn't have all the answers, and there would be struggles ahead, but with him beside her, she felt like she could finally face them.

He squeezed her hand gently, his voice quiet but filled with warmth. "We'll figure it out. Together."

The sun dipped lower in the sky, the light growing softer, but the connection between them felt stronger than ever. They sat in the silence, letting it settle around them, both content to simply be in each other's presence.

For the first time in so long, Serafina felt like she wasn't just surviving. She was living, and she wasn't doing it alone.



a/n

lovelyyy lovelyyy .