Moonlit Confessions

Yvienna couldn't handle the embarrassment. She shot her cousin a disgusted look before grabbing his arm and practically dragging him toward his car. "You're such an idiot! Hurry up and open this stupid thing!" she snapped, her cheeks burning red.

Dashylle doubled over laughing, clutching his stomach as he followed her. "You're priceless, Yvienna! Thanks to me, you've now confessed—well, kind of!" His laughter only grew louder, his face lit with amusement.

Her fury boiled over, and she swung a fist at him. "You think this is funny?! Look at my situation! And you're still laughing, even though you got punched too!"

"Fine, fine!" he said between chuckles, raising his hands in mock surrender. "I'll stop teasing. Just don't kill me!" He fumbled to unlock the car as Yvienna huffed beside him, pinching the bridge of her nose to keep herself from exploding further.

What did I even say earlier? She groaned inwardly, replaying the mortifying scene in her head. How am I supposed to face him tomorrow?

As the car pulled onto the road, Yvienna glanced sideways at Dashylle. His bruised face was hard to ignore. Still, her thoughts drifted—traitorously—to Kyle. She knew how hard Dashylle's punches could be. Had Kyle even bothered to take care of his injuries?

"You're so stupid," she muttered, her tone softer. "Hurry up so I can treat that dog face of yours."

Dashylle gasped, mock-offended. "Dogface? Really? And here I thought I was the handsome one in the family."

"Yeah, yeah," she replied with an exaggerated roll of her eyes, trying not to think about Kyle again. Her irritation with herself only grew as her cousin snickered beside her. The distraction was working—until her phone buzzed with a notification.

She snatched it up and froze as her eyes landed on the message:

Kyle:

Be careful on your way home. We'll talk tomorrow. See you! :)

Her face burned anew. Dashylle caught sight of her expression and, with a wicked grin, grabbed the phone from her hands. "Oh, what's this? A message from loverboy?"

"Give it back, you moron!" Yvienna lunged for the phone, but Dashylle tossed it into the backseat.

"Relax!" he laughed. "I'm telling your mom you've got a boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend!" she hissed, finally retrieving her phone.

When they arrived home, Dashylle unbuckled his seatbelt, turning to face her with uncharacteristic seriousness. "If you're confused about his feelings, just talk to him. Tell him what you really feel. Communication is key, you know. Try it sometime." He ruffled her hair before getting out of the car.

His words lingered in her mind, sinking in as she followed him inside. Maybe he's right? But how am I supposed to do that? She sighed, her frustration mounting.

Later, after bandaging Dashylle's bruises, Yvienna found herself on the terrace of her room, staring at the moon. The air was crisp, the glow of the moonlight serene. She sipped the coffee her cousin had handed her, trying to drown out her spiraling thoughts.

"Why are you still here?" she asked, her voice tinged with irritation.

Dashylle smirked. "Maybe your indecisive heart called me here to play Cupid?"

She punched his arm lightly, making him laugh. "Just listen to your heart for once, Yvienna. Say what you want to say." He winked and left, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

Yvienna sighed, her gaze returning to the moon. Sometimes, she envied it—admired from afar but unreachable. Maybe that's better. No one can hurt you if they can't reach you. "Eres tan hermosa, Luna," she murmured, her faint grasp of Spanish surfacing from years of self-study.

Her quiet moment was shattered by a voice from below.

"Hi, gorgeous."

Her heart skipped. Yvienna leaned over the terrace rail to see Kyle standing at the gate, a bandage on his forehead and a mischievous smile on his lips.

"You're so beautiful," he said, pointing at the moon. "I can't help but try to reach you, no matter how high you are."

Her breath hitched. Was he being serious? Before she could process his words, he began climbing the gate.

"Wait! What are you doing?!" she exclaimed.

"Climbing," he replied matter-of-factly, determination etched on his face. Despite the risk, he soon hoisted himself onto the terrace, landing beside her with a triumphant grin.

"You're insane! What if you'd fallen?" she scolded, but her words faltered when he took her hand and kissed it, his gaze softening.

"Sorry for being reckless. Sorry for being immature. But if you ever doubt my feelings, ask me anything. I'll prove it to you."

Her heart swelled with emotions she didn't fully understand. Before she could respond, a voice from inside the house called her name.

Both froze, wide-eyed. The footsteps grew louder.

Oh, shit.