Page 63 of Our Little Moments

Adrian laughs, and I feel a warmth spread through me at the sound.

As we hear the others behind us catching up, Adrian chuckles. “Jay’s the reason behind many sides of me. He’s the reason my sisters came here in the first place during their childhood. I sent the girls here a couple of years after our parents passed after hearing him talk about it. I figured they needed a childhood.”

My heart cracks. “You deserved one too.”

Adrian sighs. “Sometimes, you grow up too fast and you justcan’tget that childhood back.”

I smile softly. “It’s never too late to have fun and live a little too. Maybe you can’t go back to your childhood, but you can get some pieces of it back. A smile, some joy, a little fun. Growing up doesn’t have to mean leaving those things behind.”

He grins, his eyes crinkling in the corner. “Happy looks good on you, Stella.”

My cheeks burn. “Happy would look better on you.”

I don’t know what comes over me, but one second I’m just walking by his side, and the next, I’m running, laughter bubbling from my chest.

Adrian’s head snaps in my direction, and he picks up on my intention before I do and starts running, flashing past me. Except he seems to have forgotten that I’ve spent countless hours training back in the city. Always pushing myself to be faster and stronger. It doesn’t take long before I’m leaving him behind, my legs eating up the trail as the air fills with the sound of my breath and my heartbeat.

I can’t help but glance back, and Adrian’s there—still following, but a little out of breath. His smile is genuine, and his eyes are sparkling.

His gaze locks on me, and everything around us seems to fade. The trail, the trees, even the sounds of the others slowly disappear. It’s just him and me. I stop running, and so does he, though he’s still a few paces behind me. I can feel every beat of my heart as the seconds tick by, warmth spreading beneath my skin.

We stand there, neither of us saying a word.

I catch my breath. My heart is beating harder than it ever has, and it’s because of him. His eyes are fixed on me, searching. His lips part, and for a fleeting second, my gaze drops to his mouth.

When I bring my eyes back to his, I know without doubt that if we were anywhere else—alone—he would kiss me. He swallows, and my eyes track down to his throat before slowly climbing back up by the way of his strong chin, nose and evergreen eyes. He raises one eyebrow, a silent question, and I realize in that moment that there isn’t anything I want more than this.

The spell shatters when Jay, Hazel, and Nate reach the top of the hill, slowly catching up to us.

Adrian lets out a soft laugh, breaking the tension between us.

I quickly turn away, forcing my feet back onto the path. “If you want to catch up, you’d better pick up the pace,” I tease. It’s ironic just how much I feel like myself, yet also like a completely different person. I’ve never been playful. But in this moment, it all feels so right. Like I’m being myself, despite that person being so different from who I was a month ago.

The thought makes me grin wildly as I run.

Adrian

All five of us are now walking at our own pace with Hazel, Nate, and Stella leading the way. Jay is laughing to himself quietly next to me and it makes my skin itch.

When the others are too far to hear, he asks, “What’s that moony look on your face?”

I laugh but it sounds all wrong. “You know how much I love hiking.”

Jay laughs. “Really? Are you that oblivious?”

Shit.“Oblivious to what?”

“Stop talking,” he says quietly. “She’s looking at us.”

My heart stops. Then races.

But when I look ahead, her head isn’t aimed at us.Ugh.

I start walking forward so I don’t face his smug grin.

“You blushing,” he drops casually.

Please kill me now.

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