Chapter fourteen: Uncharted territory
The days following their kiss felt like they were walking in unfamiliar territory. There was no script for this part. No guidelines. Neither of them knew exactly what to do with the feelings that had suddenly become so undeniable. They had shared something intimate, something that changed everything, but neither of them was ready to talk about it directly. They danced around the subject, both unsure of how to label, or if they even needed to.
Nina found herself thinking about Damien more than she expected. When she walked to class, her mind would drift to the way his hand had brushed against hers on the balcony, the warmth of his lips on hers, the quiet intensity of his gaze. It was if everything had shifted in a matter of seconds, and now, she wasn't quite sure how to navigate this new phase of their relationship.
Damien, on the other hand, seemed just uncertain. When they saw each other in passing, he still gave her the playful smile, but there was something new in the way he looked at her-something deeper, as if he were waiting for her to take the led, or for some sign that things were okay between them.
For the next few days, they kept things light. They met up for coffee between classes, shared occasional texts about homework or plans for the weekend, but there was an unspoken tension lingering between them. The kiss had altered the course of their friendship, and both of them could feel it. But neither of them was brave enough to acknowledge it directly.
That is, until one afternoon when they were alone together in the library. The quiet atmosphere around them felt like perfect setting for a conversation neither of them had been ready for.
Nina was flipping through a textbook when Damien sat across from her, placing his own book down with a soft thud. For a moment, neither of them spoke. The silence felt thick, charged, as though they were both waiting for something.
Finally, Damien broke the stillness. "So..." He looked at her, hesitating as if he weren't sure how to approach the topic. "About the other night..."
Nina looked up from her book, meeting his gaze. Her heart picked up speed at the mention of the kiss. "Yeah?" she said, trying to keep her voice steady, though she felt anything but.
"I don't want to make things weird between us," he said quickly, almost as if he was trying to reassure her. "I mean.. I don't regret it. But I don't want to mess things up, you know?"
Nina's chest tightened, and she placed her book down, focusing entirely on him. "I don't want to mess things up either," she said quietly. "I just... I don't know what this means. Or where it's going. We've always been this back-and-forth thing, and now... I don't know how to handle this change."
Damien's expression softened as he leaned in slightly, his eyes not leaving hers. "Yeah, I get that. I'm not sure what comes next either, but... I don't think we should ignore what happened. I'm not going to pretend it didn't happen, and I don't you should either."
The honesty in his voice made Nina's stomach flutter. She had been wondering the same thing-what came next? Were they supposed to go back to how things were before? Could they?
"I don't want to ignore it," Nina said, her voice steady now, more sure of herself. "But also don't want to rush into anything, especially if we don't know where it's going."
Damien nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I feel the same way. I'm not trying to rush you into anything, Nina. I just..." He paused, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know. I like this-us, I mean. And I don't want to lose it."
There was something vulnerable in his words, something raw that Nina hadn't expected. She had always seen him as confident, sometimes a little cocky, but there was a depth to him now that made her realize just how much he was invested in whatever this was becoming.
"I like it too," she admitted, her voice soft. "I just... I don't want to end up hurt. And I don't want to hurt you, either."
Damien's eyes softened as he reached across the table, his hand hovering for a moment before he placed it gently on hers. "I promise, I'm not going anywhere. I want to figure this out with you. No rushing. Just... whatever happens, happens."
The simple gesture felt like a promise, and for the first time since the kiss, Nina felt a sense of relief. It was enough. They didn't have to have everything figured out right away. What mattered was that they were willing to try. They were both in this, whatever this was.
"Okay," she said, her lips curling into a small but genuine smile. "No rushing. Just us figuring out."
Damien smiled back, a real smile that reached his eyes. "Exactly."
As they sat there in the library, the weight of the unspoken tension began to lift, replaced with a quiet understanding. They didn't have all the answers, but for the first time, they weren't afraid to find them together.