UNSPOKEN DESIRES

Chapter:Late Night Reflections

Chapter: Late Night ReflectionsLater that night, as Lisa lay in bed, the room dark and quiet, her mind couldn’t seem to stop replaying the kiss. Her body still hummed with the memory of it, and it was impossible to ignore how different it had been. She had kissed Valentino before—many times, actually—but with Zaphyr, it felt like she had entered a world she didn’t even know existed.Zaphyr had a rhythm of his own. His kiss wasn’t  like Valentino’s. It was smooth, steady,deep, absorbing and deliberate, like he knew exactly what he was doing, and somehow, that unsettled her and it felt real, one thing she longed for, there was eotion and conection forming in that one kiss. For a moment during the kiss, Lisa had felt out of sync, trying to keep up with the way he moved, but before she knew it, she was falling into the rhythm too. It was a dance, one that was both foreign and exhilarating.Her hand absentmindedly brushed over her lips, still tingling from the touch of his. She let out a soft sigh, her mind swirling with the emotions of the night. The kiss wasn’t just physical. It had stirred something deep inside her—something she hadn’t allowed herself to feel before.She closed her eyes, trying to quiet her thoughts, but the buzzing of her phone startled her back to reality. Reaching over to grab it, her lips curved into a smile when she saw who it was.Zaphyr.She opened the message, already half-expecting his teasing tone."Your lips are pretty soft.""And I gotta say, you're a nice kisser too."Lisa's cheeks flushed as she read the text, a mix of surprise and embarrassment washing over her. She couldn’t help but let out a small laugh, shaking her head. He always knew how to get under her skin—how to say just the right thing to fluster her.She stared at the screen for a moment, unsure of how to respond. Her mind raced with possibilities, but nothing seemed to feel right. Zaphyr’s text was playful, and part of her wanted to shoot back something equally lighthearted, but another part of her was still wrapped up in the emotions of what they had just shared.In the end, she went with something simple."I’m glad you think so."It felt too easy, too simple compared to everything she was feeling, but she hit send before she could overthink it.As the message went through, Lisa stared up at the ceiling, her thoughts drifting back to Zaphyr and the kiss. Her mind kept returning to how different he was from Valentino, and how that difference both thrilled and terrified her.Zaphyr had always been straightforward, no games, no pretense. He made her feel things she hadn’t expected, and while she wasn’t sure if she was ready for it, part of her was excited to find out what might happen next.The phone buzzed again, pulling her out of her thoughts."Just stating facts. But don't worry, I won't tell anyone about your secret talent.""...unless I feel like it 😉."Lisa rolled her eyes, smiling despite herself. He was relentless, and she loved it. She typed back quickly this time."You better not! Or I'll have to stop sharing it with you."She bit her lip as she hit send, feeling a strange sense of satisfaction. This was new territory for her—playful, flirty, but with something deeper running beneath the surface.As she lay there, the weight of the night settled over her once again. The kiss, the feelings, the playful banter—everything felt like it was shifting, like she was standing on the edge of something new.And for the first time in a long time, she wasn’t sure where it would lead.But maybe, just maybe, she was okay with that.