FAZER LOGINAliya's POVFor a long moment after the kiss, neither of us moved.The world didn’t rush back in immediately.It lingered at the edges, like it wasn’t quite ready to interrupt whatever it was.My forehead rested lightly against his, my fingers still curled into the fabric of his shirt, holding on without thinking about it.His hand was warm at my waist.It was steady and grounding.And my breathing. It hadn’t quite settled yet.I became aware of it slowly. The rise and fall of my chest.The quiet, uneven rhythm that refused to calm down.“This is… new,” I murmured.My voice came out softer than I expected, almost like I was speaking more to myself than to him.“I know,” Dylan replied.He didn’t move away.He didn’t loosen his hold, but he didn’t pull me closer either, he just stayed. Right there, in the present.Like he understood that this moment didn’t need to be rushed into anything else.I let out a slow breath, my hand relaxing slightly against his chest, though I didn’t pull it
Dylan's POVI didn’t leave that night.Not immediately.Not like I usually would.There was no urgency pulling me away.No reason to check the time.No instinct telling me I had already stayed too long.Instead, I stayed where I was.On the couch.Beside her.The apartment had settled into a soft, quiet stillness. The kind that came after a long day, when everything had slowed enough to breathe. The lights were dim now, just a single lamp casting a warm, golden glow across the room, leaving the corners in soft shadow.Aliya leaned back slightly, her shoulder still brushing mine.She hadn’t moved away.Not even unconsciously.And that stayed with me.Her presence wasn’t hesitant anymore.It wasn’t accidental.It was chosen.I turned my head slightly, watching her.Her eyes were fixed somewhere ahead, not really focused on anything in particular, her fingers resting loosely in her lap, occasionally shifting like she was still thinking through something she hadn’t fully said yet.“You’re
Aliya's POVThe evening settled in slowly.Not all at once.Not dramatically.Just… gradually.The sunlight that had filled the apartment earlier softened into a warm amber glow, then faded into the cool blue of dusk. Shadows stretched longer across the floor, wrapping around furniture, settling into corners like they belonged there.Leo had fallen asleep on the couch.Not intentionally.He had been talking one moment about how his “garage” needed an upgrade and then his words slowed, blurred, until they stopped altogether.Now he lay curled slightly on his side, one arm tucked under his head, the other still loosely holding one of his toy cars.I stood a few feet away, watching him.There was something about this part of the day that always made me pause.Something quiet.Something fragile.The world outside didn’t stop, but inside this space, it always felt like it did.“Does he do that often?” Dylan asked from behind me.His voice was low, careful not to wake Leo.“Only when he’s p
Dylan's POVThe drive felt longer than it should have. It wasn’t because of traffic, not because of distance, because my mind wouldn’t settle. Every red light felt unnecessary, every slow-moving car in front of me felt like an interruption I didn’t have the patience for.I wasn’t used to that.Usually, I moved through things with precision, control, distance, but this, this wasn’t something I could manage like everything else, because it mattered, more than I was used to admitting.By the time I pulled up in front of her building, the sky had already dimmed into early evening, the last streaks of sunlight fading into a deep blue that stretched across the city.I sat in the car for a second, just a second, hands still on the wheel, breathing.Then I got out.When she opened the door, everything else fell away. It wasn’t dramatic, there was no rush. No immediate movement.She just stood there.Framed by the soft light of the apartment behind her, her hair loosely pulled back, a few stra
Dylan's POVThere’s a difference between visiting a place… and starting to feel like you belong in it.I noticed it the moment I stepped into her apartment again. It wasn’t just familiarity. It was the way my body didn’t tense.The way my eyes didn’t scan automatically like they usually did in unfamiliar spaces. The way I knew without thinking where things were: the couch, the kitchen counter. Leo’s growing construction project that now looked like it had taken over half the living room. I stepped over a carefully placed block, adjusting my stride instinctively.“Careful!” Leo called out from the floor, his hands frozen midair like I had just almost caused a disaster.“I see it,” I said.“No, you don’t,” he insisted. “That part is very important.” I crouched down slightly, studying the structure like it was something worth analyzing.“And what does this part do?” I asked.“It holds everything together.” I glanced at him.“That’s a lot of responsibility.”“I know,” he said seriously. I
Dylan's POV There’s a difference between visiting a place… and starting to feel like you belong in it.I noticed it the moment I stepped into her apartment again. It wasn’t just familiarity. It was the way my body didn’t tense.The way my eyes didn’t scan automatically like they usually did in unfamiliar spaces. The way I knew without thinking, where things were, the couch, the kitchen counter. Leo’s growing construction project that now looked like it had taken over half the living room. I stepped over a carefully placed block, adjusting my stride instinctively.“Careful!” Leo called out from the floor, his hands frozen mid-air like I had just almost caused a disaster.“I see it,” I said.“No, you don’t,” he insisted. “That part is very important.” I crouched down slightly, studying the structure like it was something worth analyzing.“And what does this part do?” I asked.“It holds everything together.” I glanced at him.“That’s a lot of responsibility.”“I know,” he said seriously
Aliya's POVI could almost swear I saw so many questions in his eyes that I was not going to answer. He most likely wanted to know if Richard’s claims were true, but I know he had a question or doubt something like that. He did not voice it and I felt he did not need to know that.Getting home that
Aliya's POVI keep staring at my phone long after the call ends.Even though the line has gone dead, my hand is still wrapped around it, pressed against my ear as if Dylan’s voice might suddenly come back through it. My fingers have gone slightly numb from holding the phone so tightly, but I don’t
Dylan's POVOkay, that was totally not expected. It was the last thing I would expect to come out of her mouth given the tension ongoing for a long time and all.Aliya has baggage, and I am not so sure if she was ready to open up. I could actually keep straight to the script, but I find myself gett
Dylan's POVWhat again does this old man want?I asked myself as I looked at the phone blaring loudly beside my bed. It is so early for Christ's sake!Looks like he was pretty determined to wake me up from sleep because the calls did not stop. Eventually, I grabbed my phone and picked it up.“Don't







