66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ58Jhk9YaME
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd3sk8uzdOh
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRgxe8kEdu4
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMzlNVy1u9C
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwuEAyo55Qo
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlIfipjXOfe
I was supposed to be clearing my mind.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmKOB4WauqE
Deep breath in.
Hold.
Exhale.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjuOweLxEyH
But every time I closed my eyes, that man’s voice crept in.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm6GatDYRt6
“Only when I’m bored.”
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqurqpj7Lrx
The nerve of him, smooth and dangerous like that. My yoga instructor was walking us through intention setting and all I could think about was Kairo — his low voice, that unreadable expression, the way he didn’t ask for anything but somehow still took up space in my thoughts.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsD4f7CxmHD
I rolled out of class still stuck in a daze. My body was light, but my mind was heavy with replay.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3tluNUq5hD
It was just a conversation, Brielle.
One drink. A few glances. You’ve had that before.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzxEzrswZB1
But not like that.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCuXCHyJfPg
I drove straight to my favorite smoothie spot, hoodie over my head, slides on, trying to focus on anything but him.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwsZ9OXAKnD
Then I looked up.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhRdamTCI5o
And there he was.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXdupUXega8
Standing by the fridge, tall as ever, black tee stretching across his chest, gold chain glinting under the store lights like it had a story behind it.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBy1OpcXqnv
He looked up, and I swear, the smallest smile hit the corner of his mouth like he’d been waiting for this moment too.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCPQzjzyIdp
“You followin’ me now?”
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkeVU34V0In
“In your dreams.”
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVZBKtD0qtG
“Nah. I don’t dream about women who ghost me after one drink.”
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGIiaAlHTKn
“Ghost you? You ain’t even ask for my number.”
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc1j4qVoLUx
“Didn’t need to. You came back.”
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡul8WQK3LQD
That grin again. Cocky, but earned.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK9IMveYXzY
We both ordered smoothies and ended up sitting out front, shoulders barely touching, conversation just… flowing.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVkS07t9vxe
Turns out, he had layers. Born and raised in the city, into some heavy family stuff he only talked around, not through. I didn’t press. I just listened. Something about his energy told me he wasn’t used to people doing that.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDd2mJCa03U
After a while, I told him I wasn’t ready to go home yet. He nodded like he understood.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡupGbnPAPFt
We ended up on the rooftop of this parking deck a few blocks away. It was quiet. Breezy. The city lights twinkled in the distance like they were trying to mind their business.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNgsPxlcsa7
We leaned against the edge, sipping smoothies, shoulder to shoulder.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡixEApoX6TH
“You always this chill?” I asked.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAREgRaYxWl
“You bring it out of me.”
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrTUaY4ueoW
That made me turn and really look at him. He didn’t blink. Didn’t flinch.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNdTFFrFlkS
“So what do you do, Kairo?”
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡixlaK5wHCD
“You mean like a job?”
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJou0mzZxLt
“No. Like… when you’re not giving mysterious answers and stalking smoothie bars.”
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkbuZ75eNto
“I live. I protect what’s mine. And I move in silence.”
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAfda2hG8rn
“That supposed to scare me?”
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGgGgsZXNP
“Nah. I got a feeling not much does.”
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuJuf4ElIIo
He was right. I’d been raised around wolves. I knew how to smell fear — and I didn’t have any for him. But I had curiosity. Heavy.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjLejp5tTSZ
He sat down on the edge, legs hanging off, and patted the spot next to him. I hesitated… then joined him.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVunk9fkTzU
We talked about music. Childhood. Favorite colors. He told me he likes the quiet after rain. I told him I like the loud before a storm.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg1l1xgzPMz
He laughed. A real one. Like he hadn’t done that in a while.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcgCu3JDtQ5
“What?” I asked.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7jwF6Vsmga
“You dangerous, Brie.”
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiYwMAQ3DHE
“Why?”
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZcBi6Oqtuw
“Because you feel like peace. And peace don’t usually last in my world.”
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ZHprzdiDy
That made my chest tighten. I didn’t ask why. I didn’t need to.
We were both dancing around secrets.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGo5nouUi1Z
But in that moment, under a navy-blue sky, with smoothie cups half-empty and the city low beneath us, none of it mattered.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi1G6aOgHLY
It was just me and him.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKljB5Y6dkh
Curiosity. Chemistry. And that quiet kind of danger that makes a girl wonder if falling is worth the fire.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc0O9In7WrI
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyilCVYJBF9
