Between Laws & Runways

Chapter 3: It's Not a Date & The Storm

Miles watched her disappear into the night, heart
pounding harder than any courtroom ever made it.

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The skies had been clear all morning. Not a single cloud above the city.

But by 4PM, the world turned gray.

Thunder cracked. Rain poured like it had a vendetta. Traffic snarled. Lights flickered. And half the city came to a standstill-including a private elevator in the tallest building downtown.

And in that elevator?

Miles Jay Dela Cruz.
Arianna Quinn Garcia.

Of course.

"Are you serious," Miles muttered, glaring at the elevator panel as it blinked red.

Arianna, standing just a foot away, leaned against the wall, arms crossed, soaked from the sudden downpour. "You know, for someone who's always in control, you end up trapped with me a lot."

Miles closed her eyes. "What are you even doing here?"

"I had a shoot two floors up," Arianna replied. "And surprise-power outage. Now we're having another one of our not-a-date moments."

Miles pressed the emergency button. Nothing. "This is absurd."

Arianna looked over at her-hair slightly damp, lips pursed, blazer perfect despite the chaos. "You're tense."

"I'm locked in a box with you."

"That's not tension," Arianna smirked. "That's fear."

"I don't fear you."

Arianna took a step closer. The space felt smaller. "Then why can't you look at me for longer than five seconds without adjusting your posture?"

Miles stayed silent.

"Exactly," Arianna whispered.

Minutes passed. The elevator creaked. The rain outside battered the glass windows.

And then came the flicker of backup lights. Dim. Soft.

"You cold?" Miles asked suddenly.

Arianna didn't answer. But her hands were clenched tighter than they should be. So Miles took off her jacket and draped it over her.

Arianna stared.

"What?" Miles shrugged. "I'm not heartless."

"You're impossible."

"You're intrigued."

They stood in silence again. Closer now. A heartbeat away.

And then-softly, surprisingly-Miles spoke.

"You make it hard to stay composed."

Arianna blinked. For once, caught off guard. "What?"

"I don't like being seen. You... see too much."

"I see someone trying not to fall apart," Arianna whispered. "And I won't tell anyone if you do."

For a moment, the storm outside was nothing compared to the storm inside that tiny elevator.

Then: ding.

The doors opened.

Bright lights. Noise. Movement.

And just like that, the moment was gone.

Arianna stepped out first, jacket still draped over her. She didn't look back.

Miles followed, but she smiled to herself.

Because something was shifting.

And it wasn't just the weather.

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.
.
.

Arianna had always known how to flirt. How to play the game. How to lean in close and walk away before anything could cling to her heart.

But lately...
She was lingering.

The night after the elevator incident, she couldn't sleep. Not because of the storm. But because she kept replaying Miles' words.

"You make it hard to stay composed."

Those weren't words people said lightly.
Especially not Miles.

And Arianna? She was starting to feel it too. The twist in her stomach when Miles looked at her a second too long. The buzz in her chest when her name appeared on Miles' phone.

She was in trouble.

⸻

At a brunch the next morning with Malia, Rain, and Gabrielle, the teasing was relentless.

"You're glowing," Malia said, squinting at her.

"I always glow. Genetics," Arianna replied casually, stirring her iced coffee.

"No," Gabrielle smirked. "This is you've-been-thinking-about-someone-too-much glow."

Rain leaned in. "So... when's the next not-a-date?"

Arianna rolled her eyes. "It wasn't a date. It was a power outage."

"Power outage," Malia echoed. "But emotional connection? Fully charged."

Gabrielle laughed. "Just admit you like her."

Arianna opened her mouth, ready to deny it.

But nothing came out.

She just... sat there.

Realizing.

And that silence? That was her answer.

⸻

Later that afternoon, she found herself at Miles' office-again. No reason this time. Just... proximity. An excuse to drop off updated shoot details. Something her assistant could've easily handled.

Miles raised a brow when she walked in.

"You didn't email?"

"I like things in person," Arianna said smoothly, placing the folder on her desk. "You said I was strategic, remember?"

"You also said you'd behave."

"I lied."

Miles shook her head, but her lips twitched at the corners. "Anything else?"

Arianna hesitated.

"I like seeing you," she said, more softly than she intended.

Miles looked up.

And something passed between them again. A quiet recognition. A pull neither of them wanted to name yet.

"I'll... see you at the gala next week," Arianna added quickly, standing up. "I heard you're attending."

Miles didn't answer right away.

Then-calm, steady-"I'll be there."

And that was enough to keep Arianna smiling all the way back to her car.

Because whether she liked it or not...

She was already falling.

And for once?

She didn't want to stop.