Chapter 4

Ethan’s POV

I read the message again.

“I want to see you again”.

The words were simple, but they didn’t feel simple at all. I stared at the screen for a long time, my heart beating faster than it should have.

Why would Adrian want to see me again?

I wasn’t famous. I wasn’t confident. I didn’t even like talking to people most of the time. And yet, Adrian had asked to see me again like it was the most normal thing in the world.

I took a slow breath and typed carefully.

Ethan: “Why?”

I stared at the message after sending it, wondering if it sounded rude. But it was too late to delete it now.

A few seconds passed.

Then the phone vibrated again.

Adrian: “Because I like talking to you”.

I blinked slowly.

That answer felt too honest. No one had said something like that to me before. At least not in a long time.

I didn’t know how to respond, so I just sat there, holding the phone tightly in my hand.

Another message appeared.

Adrian: “Is that a problem?”

I shook my head quickly, even though Adrian couldn’t see me.

Ethan: “No”.

Another short pause.

Then:

Adrian: “Then let me see you tomorrow”.

I stared at the screen again. My chest felt tight, but not in a bad way. It felt nervous. Warm. Exciting in a way I didn’t understand yet.

I had spent years living the same quiet life every day. Work. Photos. Silence. Nothing ever really changed.

But now, everything felt like it was starting to move too fast.

Still, deep inside, I didn’t want to stop it.

Ethan: “Okay”.

I put the phone down slowly and lay back on the bed again, staring at the ceiling. The room felt different tonight. Not empty like it usually did. Just quiet in a softer way.

I closed my eyes for a second and saw Adrian’s face again—the calm expression, the quiet smile, the way he spoke like he didn’t need to prove anything to anyone.

I turned onto my side and pulled the blanket closer to me.

“This is a bad idea,” I whispered quietly.

But even as I said the words, I knew I didn’t really mean them.

Because after so long, I was actually looking forward to tomorrow.

And that scared me more than anything else.

The next morning felt strange.

I woke up earlier than usual, even though I had barely slept. The sunlight coming through the window looked brighter than normal, almost like the day itself felt different.

I sat up slowly and reached for my phone without thinking.

One new message.

Adrian: “Good morning”.

I smiled before I even realized it.

Maybe this really was the beginning of something.

[ ]

I arrived earlier than I needed to.

I stood across the street for a few minutes, staring at the building in front of me. It didn’t look like the kind of place someone famous would choose. It was quiet, simple, and almost hidden between two taller buildings.

Still, Adrian had sent the address himself.

I took a slow breath and crossed the street.

My heart was beating faster than it should have, and I didn’t even know why. It wasn’t like this was something important. We were just meeting again. Just talking. Just spending time together.

At least, that was what I kept telling myself.

The door opened before I even had time to knock.

Adrian stood there, wearing a simple black hoodie and dark jeans. He looked completely different from the person I had photographed the night before.

And somehow, he looked better.

“You’re early,” Adrian said softly.

I shrugged a little. “I didn’t want to be late.”

Adrian smiled slightly and stepped aside so I could enter.

The apartment was quiet and simple. A large window let in soft sunlight, and the room smelled faintly of coffee. There were no posters on the walls, no signs that someone famous lived there. Just a couch, a table, and a few books near the window.

“You live alone?” I asked.

Adrian nodded. “It’s the only place where I don’t feel watched.”

I looked around again slowly. Something about the room felt calm and safe.

“Sit,” Adrian said, pointing toward the couch.

I sat carefully, placing my hands together to stop them from shaking. Adrian walked toward the small kitchen and poured coffee into two cups without saying anything.

For a few minutes, the only sound in the room was the quiet clinking of the cup against the table.

“Do you always look this nervous?” Adrian asked gently, handing me the cup of coffee while he sat down across from me.

I laughed quietly. “Only when I don’t understand what’s happening.”

Adrian leaned back slightly, studying me in the same calm way he had in the studio.

“And what do you think is happening?” he asked.

I didn’t answer immediately. I looked down at the coffee in my hands and thought carefully about the question.

“I think…” I said slowly, “I think this is the part where something changes.”

The words surprised even me.

Adrian didn’t laugh. He didn’t say anything for a few seconds. He just looked at me quietly, like the words meant more than they should have.

“Maybe it already has,” Adrian replied softly.

I looked up slowly, and for a moment, it felt like the world outside the apartment had completely disappeared.

I didn’t know where this was going.

But one thing was becoming very clear.

This is definitely not friendship.

And the more time I spent sitting across from Adrian, the harder it became to pretend that it was.