If I Stayed | Christian Yu

CAPTER TWENTY - THE TRUTH

She gave him a knowing look—one of those looks that felt like it could see right through him. "Yeah. I guess I just... like knowing you're okay."

His chest tightened, just a little. "You don't have to worry about me."

She shrugged, eyes on the ground. "I know. But I do anyway."

Silence settled between them, comfortable but charged. The garden smelled like lemons and something faintly floral—jasmine, maybe. The wind picked up just enough to stir a strand of her hair across her cheek.

Christian reached over without thinking and gently tucked it behind her ear. His fingers lingered for half a second too long.

Aaliyah's eyes lifted to his, soft and searching.

"You always do that," she said quietly.

"Do what?" he asked.

"Take care of me. Even when I don't ask."

He looked away, breathing out slow. "Guess it's a habit."

She smiled, that slow, easy smile that always made his chest flip. "It's a good habit."

She shifted her weight, stepping a little closer. Close enough that he could see the freckles on her nose, the small smudge of icing near her thumb.

"You know," she said, voice softer now, "this is the part where you're supposed to say something cheesy and make me roll my eyes."

He grinned, his own voice dropping. "Something like... 'I've been waiting all night for this moment'?"

She giggled, rolling her eyes like she always did, but there was no teasing in her smile. "Yeah. Something like that."

He swallowed.

"Ali," he said, voice lower. "If I kiss you right now..."

She tilted her head, her gaze locked on his. "Yeah?"

"I don't know if I could pretend it didn't mean anything."

A slow breath left her lips. "Who says we have to pretend?"

The world seemed to hold its breath.

He leaned in, slow—like giving her the chance to pull away.

But she didn't.

Their lips met—warm and soft and hesitant at first, but then it deepened, like a question they'd both been waiting to answer.

It felt like a spark, like the world had gone quiet just for them.

He pulled back first, forehead still touching hers.

"We probably shouldn't have done that."

She smiled faintly, eyes shining in the string light. "We didn't," she whispered.

"Right," he said, nodding.

And just like that, it was buried.

Back under the moonlight where no one would ever know.

Except them.

~ Present

Christian blinked.

The garden came back into focus.

The lights. The quiet.

His vape still in his hand.