where i'm safe

let go

                                        arias pov

the shine from out the windows is what woke me, my eyes blinked open slowly, realizing i was still on the couch, curled up with kehlani under a blanket. her arm was around me, loose but protective, like even in sleep she was making sure i didn't drift too far.

for a second, i didn't move. the house was quiet and peaceful. i could hear the faint sound of rain outside, the steady rhythm against the windows. somewhere down the hall, the soft hum of the baby monitor played the sound of kai and wyatt's steady breathing.

kehlani stirred beside me, stretching with a low groan. "morning," she murmured.

"morning," i whisper back, sitting up and rubbing my eyes. my neck ached a little, but i didn't mind.

she watched me, smiling a little. "wanna make breakfast?" she asks me, watching me stretch.

i nod while getting up and yawning and we move to the kitchen together, the early light painting everything gold. she pours us both mugs of warm tea, and i start cracking eggs into a bowl, the familiar routine grounding me.

for a few moments, it's just quiet, comfortable and easy. until kehlani leans against the counter and asks softly, "you ever gonna let someone take care of you, aria?"

i looked up, startled. "what do you mean?"

her eyes are steady on me. "you've been running yourself ragged all week. you take care of kai, your mom, your job, everything. but when's the last time you let anyone take care of you?"

i frown, stirring the eggs too hard. "that's different."

"how?" she asks, stepping closer to me.

"because i don't have time to fall apart," i admit, my voice sharper than i meant it to be. "if i stop, everything stops. kai depends on me, and—"

kehlani steps even closer, resting her hand on the counter beside me. "and she needs you happy, aria. you need to breathe. you don't have to do it alone."

her voice is quiet but firm. the kind of calm that makes you listen whether you want to or not.

i felt my throat tighten. "it's just not easy for me to... let people in."

she smiles softly. "i know. but you already have. you just didn't realize it yet."

i look up at her, confused. "what do you mean?"

kehlani tilts her head, that little half-smirk tugging at her lips. "you let me in more than you think. Those late-night talks. the way you fall asleep on me. those kisses you pretend aren't real."

my face flushes instantly. "kel—"

she chuckles softly, not mocking, just gentle. "i'm not saying it to embarrass you. i'm saying it because i know you feel it too. you keep calling them 'little moments,' but aria... those moments mean something. to me at least" she says looking down at me.

i try to look away, but she reaches out and tilts my chin back toward her. her hand is steady, grounding.

"you don't just kiss like that unless it comes from somewhere," she whisperes.

my heart thudded painfully. "i don't know what i'm doing," i admitted. "they do mean something to me too.. i just... i don't want to mess things up. everything already feels so fragile."

"you won't mess it up," kehlani says simply. "you care too much to ever do that."

her thumb brushes over my jaw, slow and tender. "but i need you to stop pretending you don't want this too."