I have never been happier.
Elias
He didn't remember the drive home.
He knew he stopped at every red light.
He knew the radio was playing something soft.
He knew his fingers tapped the steering wheel the whole way like he couldn't keep still.
But mostly—
He knew he was smiling.
The kind of smile that tugged so wide it made his jaw ache.
The kind he couldn't stop even when he was alone in the kitchen, setting his keys down next to a half-empty protein bar.
It was ridiculous.
He felt ridiculous.
He'd spent most of his adult life moving from one day to the next, clean lines and strict schedules, mission reports and backup plans.
And now—
One dinner.
One walk.
One hand held in the quiet of a truck—
And he was completely undone.
She'd looked at him like he mattered.
Not like a protector.
Not like a safety net.
Just a man.
And when she said, "I like this," he felt something inside him shift.
Like the part of him that had been locked up for years—
Finally clicked open.
He leaned against the counter, hand on the back of his neck, grinning like an idiot.
"Oh my god," he muttered to himself.
Then again—
"Oh my god."
He was in trouble.
The good kind.
The Liana kind.
Liana
She closed the door as quietly as she could.
Didn't matter.
Alex's voice came from the kitchen like a laser-guided missile.
"You better get in here and spill every single detail."
Liana froze. "You're home early."
"I came back for this exact reason." A pause. "Wait—oh my god. You're blushing."
"No, I'm not."
"Yes, you are. Your entire face is pink. Girl, what happened?"
Liana set down her bag, sat on the edge of the couch, tried to look casual.
Failed completely.
Alex walked over and dropped next to her, eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Okay. Start talking."
Liana hesitated. Bit her lip.
"…We had dinner."
"Obviously."
"And we talked."
"Groundbreaking."
Liana glared. "Do you want to hear it or not?"
Alex held up both hands, grinning. "Sorry. Continue."
She exhaled slowly.
"It was nice. Like, really nice. I was nervous. He was nervous. I think he tried not to show it, but his knee kept bouncing."
"Cute."
"And then after dinner… he held my hand."
Alex's mouth fell open. "Wait. Like held held?"
Liana nodded. "I didn't even mean to reach for it. It just—happened."
Alex clutched her chest like she'd been shot. "This is better than Netflix."
Liana rolled her eyes, but couldn't stop smiling.
Alex leaned in. "And then?"
Liana looked down at her lap.
"At the end, he didn't kiss me. But he leaned in. Just close enough. I said I had fun. And he said, 'Me too.'"
Alex blinked.
Then squealed. "I'm gonna die. You two are killing me."
Liana laughed into her hands. "It didn't feel real. But it was."
"Girl," Alex said, voice suddenly gentle, "this is just the beginning."
Liana looked up.
"I think I know," she whispered.
And this time, the smile didn't fade.
Because it was already his.