A shoulder to lean on

Nicole sat on her bed, heart pounding as she stared at the screen. The message from Andrew was simple yet carried a weight she wasn't expecting.

"I don't know why, but I keep thinking about you. Goodnight Nicole."

She read it over and over, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. A part of her wanted to reply instantly, but another part hesitated. What did he mean by that? Was it just a passing thought or was there something deeper behind his words?

She smiled, shaking her head at herself. Maybe she was overthinking it.

Instead of responding, she placed her phone down and laid back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. The feeling in her chest was unfamiliar- something between excitement and nervousness. Whatever this was between them, it was growing, and she wasn't sure if she was ready for it.

The next morning, Nicole met up with her best friend, Violet at their usual café near campus. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air as they settled into their seats.

"You are blushing," Violet teased, stirring her cappuccino.

 Nicole rolled her eyes. "I'm not."

"You so are." Violet leaned forward, smirking. "Okay, spill. What's going on with Andrew?"

Nicole hesitated for a moment before sighing. "He texted me last night. Said he keeps thinking about me."

Violet's eyes widened. "Oh, wow. That's something."

"That's what I thought. But I don't know what to make of it." Nicole traced the rim of her coffee cup absent mindedly. "It's like… I want to believe this could be something, but I also don't want to get ahead of myself."

Violet reached across the table, giving her a hand squeeze. "You don't have to figure it all out right now. Just go with the flow. See where it leads."

Nicole nodded but a part of her couldn't shake the feeling that if she let herself get too close, she might end up getting hurt.

On the other side of town, Andrew sat on the hood of his car outside his apartment complex, staring at the city lights. He let out a small breath, as if he had just done something reckless.

"Wow," a voice interrupted his thoughts.

Andrew turned to see David, his best friend, leaning against the car with a knowing smirk.

"Did you really text her that?" David asked, raising an eyebrow.

Andrew shrugged. "It's the truth."

David shook his head, laughing. "Man, you are so gone. I haven't seen you like this in a long time."

Andrew didn't respond immediately. Instead, he toyed with his car keys, deep in thought. "I don't know, Dave. It's weird. I feel like if I let this happen, I might lose control."

David's expression shifted sensing the weight behind Andrew's words. "This is about your dad, right?"

Andrew clenched his jaw, looking away. "I just… I don't stay too long in the same place, with the same people. You know that."

David sighed, crossing his arms. "Yeah, but maybe it's time you stop running. Nicole isn't like everyone else. She actually cares, man. And if you're not careful, you're going to push her away before she even gets the chance to know you."

Andrew exhaled, rubbing a hand over his face. He didn't respond, but the words lingered. He knew David was right.

That evening, Nicole arrived home, exhaustion creeping into her bones. The moment she stepped inside, her mother's concerned voice reached her ears.

"How's grandma?"  Nicole asked as she set her bag down.

Her mother let out a sigh, rubbing her temples. "She's not doing well. The doctors said it's progressing faster than they expected."

Nicole's heart clenched. Her grandmother had been battling illness for months now and it felt like time was slipping through their fingers.

"I'll visit her this weekend."  Nicole said softly, swallowing the lump in her throat.

Her sister, Emily, walked into the room, wrapping an arm around her. "She'd love that. It always lifts her spirit when you're there."

Nicole nodded, but the weight of it all sat heavy on her chest.

Later that night, Nicole walked aimlessly through the quiet streets, her mind heavy with thoughts of her grandmother. The evening breeze was cool against her skin, but inside she felt suffocated. She hadn't realized how much she had been holding in- how much the weight of everything was pressing down on her chest.

She turned a corner, barely aware of her surroundings, and suddenly-

"Nicole?"

She looked up, startled. Andrew stood a few steps away, hands in his pockets, watching her with an unreadable expression.

" What are you doing here?" She asked, her voice quieter than she intended.

" I could ask you the same thing." He stepped closer, eyes scanning her face. "You, okay?"

That question- so simple, so soft- broke something inside her.

Before she could stop herself, the emotions she had been suppressing came crashing down. Nicole lowered her head, biting her lip to keep it together, but it was useless. A tear slipped down her cheek, then another.

Andrew didn't hesitate. He closed the distance between them and without a word, pulled her into his arms.

She didn't resist.

The warmth of his embrace, the steady rise and fall of his chest, the way his hand rested protectively on the back of her head- it was all too much and yet exactly what she needed.

For a moment, there was nothing but silence between them. No explanations. No forced words. Just the quiet understanding that, in this moment, Nicole didn't have to be strong. She could just be.

Andrew gently pulled back, his hands resting on her arms as he searched her eyes. "Talk to me."

She took a shaky breath. "It's my grandmother… she's sick and she's getting worse day by day."

He didn't say anything but the way he looked at her- like he actually saw her, like he understood—made her chest tighten.

"I feel so helpless, Andrew," she whispered. "Like no matter what I do, I can't stop it from happening."

Andrew exhaled sharply, his thumb brushing away a stray tear from her cheek. "You don't have to do it alone."

Nicole blinked up at him, and before she knew what was happening-

Andrew kissed her.

It was soft, brief- so fleeting that for a second, Nicole wondered if she had imagined it.

Her breath hitched as she pulled back slightly, wide-eyed. Andrew seemed just as surprised, his brows furrowing as if even he wasn't sure why he did it.

"I…" He opened his mouth to say something, but the words never came.

Nicole's heart pounded in her chest. A rush of emotions tangled inside her- confusion, warmth, something dangerously close to longing.

And then, without thinking she closed the space between them again.

This time, when their lips met, there was no hesitation.

Andrew's hands cupped her face, pulling her in, deepening the kiss in a way that sent shivers down her spine. Nicole clung to him, allowing herself to drown in the moment, in the comfort he unknowingly provided, in the way he made her feel like, just for a second, everything would be okay.

When they finally pulled away, Andrew rested his forehead against hers, his breath warm against her skin.

"You are not alone, Nicole," He murmured.

 And for the first time in a long time, she almost believed it.

She had been drowning in her own pain, and somehow, without her even realizing it, Andrew had become the air she never knew she needed."