Alex held Maria’s hand as they walked, neither of them saying much at first.
The silence wasn’t awkward—just… full.
The night air carried a kind of tension that wasn’t uncomfortable, just charged, like something was waiting to happen.
Around them, the city moved like it always did, but it felt distant somehow.
The chatter of people, the hum of traffic, the occasional burst of laughter—it all faded into the background.
They passed a row of street vendors, their lights twinkling faintly, not perfectly steady.
Smoke curled into the air from small grills, carrying the rich smell of spiced, sizzling meat.
It made Maria’s stomach tighten slightly.
Alex noticed.
Of course he did.
But he didn’t say anything yet.
Instead, he slowed, stopping under a streetlamp that flickered once before settling.
The light cast a soft glow over them, isolating them from everything else.
“Why did you really disappear?
Why were you silent with no messages or call?” he asked again.
His voice wasn’t as sharp this time.
Softer.
Like he wasn’t demanding an answer—just hoping for one.
Maria looked down, her fingers tightening slightly around his.
For a second, she didn’t speak.
“I was scared,” she said finally.
The words came out quieter than she expected.
She exhaled, like she’d been holding it in longer than she realized.
“Scared of how I felt about you.
It was… new.
I didn’t know what to do with it.”
She gave a small, almost embarrassed shrug, still not meeting his eyes.
Alex’s thumb brushed lightly against her hand, back and forth, slow and steady.
“You mean,” he said, a hint of a smile in his voice now, “no one’s ever made you feel like I do?”
Maria shook her head, finally glancing up.
Her smile was small, a little shy.
“Not like you do.”
Something in Alex’s expression shifted—softened.
“Good,” he said, almost under his breath.
“I like being the one.”
Maria let out a quiet laugh, her shoulders relaxing just a little.
“I like that too.”
There was a pause.
Not empty—just… lingering.
Then Alex stepped closer, like the decision had already been made in his head.
“Good,” he murmured.
“Because I don’t plan on letting you go again.”
Maria felt that one before she could think of what to say, he leaned in slightly, his voice dropping, playful again.
“You know what I want to do now?”
She blinked, caught off guard.
“What?”
He pulled back just enough for her to see the grin forming.
“I want to take you to the best meat spot in town.
You need food… and I need to show you off.”
Maria stared at him for half a second—and then laughed, the tension breaking completely.
“Food sounds amazing,” she admitted.
“Thought so.” He squeezed her hand lightly.
“Let’s go.”
The place wasn’t anything special—at least, not in the way people usually meant it.
It was small, a little crowded, with wooden tables that looked like they’d been there for years.
The air was thick with smoke and spice, and everything smelled really good.
Maria liked it instantly.
They sat, and within minutes, plates of brochettes were dropped in front of them, still sizzling faintly. This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
Maria didn’t hesitate.
She took a bite—and immediately paused.
“Okay,” she said, chewing, then nodding.
“This is actually amazing.”
Alex leaned back slightly, satisfied.
“I don’t lie about food.”
They ate fast at first, like they hadn’t realized how hungry they were until that moment.
Conversation came in between bites—easy, unforced.
They talked about random things at first.
Travel plans that may or may not happen.
Places they’d seen online.
Alex mentioned wanting to go to Japan someday, mostly for the cars—and the food.
Maria admitted she’d always loved the idea of Italy, though she wasn’t even sure why.
“It just feels… soft,” she said, then laughed at herself.
They moved on to books.
Turns out, both of them liked mystery novels.
“Of course you do,” Alex said.
“You seem like the type.”
“What type is that?”
“The kind that overthinks everything.”
Maria pointed her skewer at him.
“That’s not wrong, but you didn’t have to say it like that.”
He grinned.
Movies came next—and that turned into a debate almost immediately.
“Action movies,” Alex said.
“No competition.”
Maria shook her head.
“Rom-coms.”
“Explosions are better than feelings.”
“That doesn’t even make sense.”
“It makes perfect sense.”
She laughed, shaking her head.
“You’re impossible.”
“You know I have decided to let you go but when I met you in person.
I couldn’t stop myself from asking you what on my mind and I am glad I asked.” Alex said gently while Maria smile gently with no words but the smile said everything.
After a while, as the food started to slow down, Alex leaned forward slightly.
“Want to try something crazy?”
Maria raised an eyebrow.
“That depends.”
“A food challenge.”
She hesitated for maybe a second.
“I’m listening.”
“Spiciest brochette they’ve got,” he said.
“Winner gets a prize.”
Maria narrowed her eyes, intrigued.
“What kind of prize?”
“If I win, you come to one of my races.”
“And if I win?”
He leaned in just a little.
“I take you anywhere you want.”
Maria considered it—and then nodded.
“Deal.”
It was a terrible idea.
The first bite hit almost immediately.
Maria coughed, laughing at the same time, her eyes watering.
“Why would anyone eat this willingly?”
Across from her, Alex wasn’t doing much better.
“It’s fine,” he said, even as he reached for his drink way too fast.
“It’s not fine.”
They tried.
For a few more bites, they really tried.
But eventually—
“I’m done,” Maria said, dropping the skewer.
“Same,” Alex admitted.
There was a pause.
Then they both started laughing.
“Draw?” she suggested.
“Draw.”
The vendor nearby just shook his head, clearly entertained.
Outside, the air felt cooler—better.
They walked slower this time.
“Rematch?” Alex asked. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
Maria gave him a look.
“Absolutely not.”
He laughed, slipping his arm around her shoulders like it was the most natural thing in the world.
They wandered without really deciding where to go, talking about small things now—music, random memories, nothing serious.
Then they spotted it—a small night market still open.
Alex glanced at her.
“Dessert?”
Maria stared at him.
“After that?”
“Best time for it.”
She shook her head, smiling anyway.
“You’re unbelievable.”
They ended up sitting on a curb, pastries in hand, sugar replacing spice.
Alex insisted on trying both, claiming he needed to “compare properly.”
“You just want mine,” Maria said.
“Not true,” he said, already taking a bite.
They laughed, crumbs everywhere, fingers sticky.
Then, slowly, things quieted again.
“You know,” Alex said, more serious now, “I really like this.”
Maria looked at him.
“Me too.”
That was all it took.
He leaned in slowly this time, giving her enough time to pull back if she wanted to.
She didn’t.
The kiss was soft at first, a little uncertain—but it didn’t stay that way for long.
When they pulled apart, both of them were smiling, just slightly.
“Better than the brochettes?” he asked.
Maria tilted her head.
“Different kind of heat.”
Later, the drive felt quieter.
Not awkward.
Just… full.
When they reached the hill, Maria didn’t say anything at first.
She just looked out over the city.
“It’s beautiful,” she said eventually.
Alex glanced at her.
“Yeah.”
But he wasn’t really looking at the view.
“Want to chase sunrises with me?” he asked.
Maria didn’t overthink it this time.
“Yes.”
They stayed until the sky started to change.
Pink, then gold, slowly spreading.
When the sun finally rose, it felt… important.
Like something had shifted.
Maria leaned slightly into him.
“No competition,” she murmured.
“None,” he agreed.
Later, over breakfast, things felt almost normal again.
Until his phone buzzed.
“Racing crew,” he said, glancing at it.
Maria nodded.
“Go.”
He hesitated.
“Later?”
She smiled.
“Definitely.”
He left.
Maria stayed a moment longer, staring at nothing in particular.
Then she pulled out her phone and typed: Found something wild.
She stared at the message for a second before sending it.
And for once… she didn’t feel like running.