𝗜𝗡 𝗕𝗘𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗡, m thames.

ten

chapter TEN
no regrets .

it was late afternoon, and the golden sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains in starr's living room, casting a warm, honeyed glow over the space. starr and kairi were sprawled out on the oversized couch, surrounded by the remnants of their lazy day—empty snack bowls, a half-finished puzzle on the coffee table, and a random playlist softly playing in the background. the vibe was relaxed, easy, the kind of comfortable silence that only existed between close friends.

kairi was absentmindedly flipping through a magazine, though she wasn't really paying attention to it. starr, on the other hand, was staring up at the ceiling, lost in thought. her dark hair fanned out against the couch cushions, and her mind kept drifting back to the night before—the way the lights had sparkled, the excitement of the awards show, and most of all, the kiss.

"so... something happened last night," starr finally said, breaking the silence. her voice was calm, almost too calm, but there was a certain weight to her words that made kairi look up immediately.

"what happened?" kairi asked, her curiosity piqued. she set the magazine aside and turned to face starr, noticing the way her friend was avoiding eye contact.

starr took a deep breath, still staring at the ceiling as if it held all the answers. "mason and i kissed."

there it was, out in the open. starr felt a strange mix of relief and anxiety wash over her as soon as the words left her mouth. she wasn't sure what she'd been expecting, but saying it out loud made it feel more real, more significant.

kairi's eyes widened in surprise, but a knowing smile quickly spread across her face. "i knew it," she said softly, but there was no smugness in her tone, just genuine happiness for her friend. "i knew there was something between you two."

"it just... happened," starr continued, still avoiding kairi's gaze. "we were on the balcony, just talking, and then... i don't know, it was like everything else disappeared. and before i knew it, he kissed me."

kairi stayed quiet, letting starr talk through her feelings. she could tell this was something starr needed to process out loud.

"it wasn't like i planned it," starr added quickly, as if to reassure herself. "but it didn't feel wrong, either. it felt... i don't know, natural? like we'd been leading up to that moment for a while, even if neither of us realised it."

"and how do you feel about it now?" kairi asked gently, her eyes soft with concern.

"i don't know," starr admitted, finally turning her head to look at kairi. "i'm confused. part of me is freaking out because this wasn't supposed to happen. we were just supposed to be... whatever we were. colleagues, maybe friends. but now... now it feels like something's changed, and i'm not sure what to do about it."

"do you regret it?" kairi asked, her voice careful.

starr shook her head slowly. "no. that's the weird part. i don't regret it at all. if anything, i keep replaying it in my head, over and over, like i'm trying to figure out what it means."

kairi gave her a small, reassuring smile. "sometimes, things just happen because they're meant to, even if we don't understand why at first."

"maybe," starr said, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "but where does that leave us now? what if it complicates everything? we have to work together for months, and if things get weird..."

"it's only weird if you make it weird," kairi pointed out, her tone light but firm. "and from what you've told me, it sounds like you two have been building up to this for a while. maybe this is just the next step, you know?"

starr sighed, her thoughts swirling like a storm. "it's just... i never expected this. with everything going on, the last thing i wanted was to catch feelings, especially not for mason."

kairi reached out and squeezed starr's hand. "but you did. and now you've got to figure out what that means, for both of you."

"yeah," starr whispered, her mind still racing. "i guess we do."

the room fell into a comfortable silence again, the kind where neither of them needed to say anything more. but as starr lay there, her thoughts kept circling back to that kiss, the feel of mason's lips on hers, and the way her heart had fluttered in a way she hadn't expected.

maybe kairi was right. maybe this was just the next step in whatever it was she and mason had. but the uncertainty still lingered, and for the first time in a long time, starr didn't know what her next move should be.

naya's notes
everyone buckle up for the next couple chapters🥰