Chapter 33: Breath of the Night

The air between us still hummed with the remnants of our kiss, as if the universe itself had taken a breath and forgotten to exhale. My fingers lingered against your cheek, tracing the warmth that remained, unwilling to break the moment just yet.

The wind stirred through the garden, sending a slow ripple through the roses. You closed your eyes for a brief second, as if listening to something only you could hear.

"What are you thinking?" I asked, my voice quiet, almost hesitant.

You exhaled, your lips parting like you wanted to say something, but instead, you lifted my hand and placed it over your heartbeat. "This," you murmured. "I don't need words when you can feel it."

Beneath my palm, your heart thudded, steady and real, a rhythm that matched my own. I held my breath, letting the silence speak for us, letting the moment stretch between us like a thread neither of us wanted to cut.

I didn't know how long we sat like that, hands entwined, the night wrapping around us like something sacred. But eventually, the world called us back, the weight of time settling once more.

You pulled back slightly, tilting your head toward the house. "Come inside?"

I nodded, standing with you, our hands still locked together.

And as we stepped through the doorway, leaving the garden behind, I knew the night hadn't ended only shifted, only deepened, only brought us closer.