The next few days after movie night passed in a blur. My mind was a storm of confusion, hope, and fear, swirling around in a chaotic mix that left me restless. I couldn’t stop thinking about Martinus—his words, the way he looked at me, the shift in our dynamic that I wasn’t sure how to handle.
Avoiding him felt impossible now, especially since Marcus and Nora seemed to have become the new meeting spot for everyone. Every time I tried to convince myself that we could just go back to how things were, that maybe I was imagining the change, I’d find Martinus’ gaze lingering on me. Each look sent that same electrifying tension through my body, reminding me that things between us had shifted too far to ignore.
And yet, as much as I wanted to figure it out, the fear of getting hurt still held me back.
I was sitting in my room one evening, lost in thought, when my phone buzzed. I grabbed it, seeing Martinus’ name flash across the screen.
Martinus: Can we talk?
My heart skipped a beat. A part of me wanted to ignore it, to keep things at a distance, but another part—stronger than I realized—wanted to hear what he had to say.
Y/N: About what?
The reply came almost instantly.
Martinus: You know what. Meet me by the lake?
The lake was our town’s small, quiet spot just outside the main square. It was secluded, peaceful—a place where people went to think or get away from everything. The fact that he was asking me to meet him there felt… serious.
I stared at the message, chewing my bottom lip. Maybe it was time to stop running away from this.
---
An hour later, I found myself standing by the lake, the cool autumn breeze ruffling my hair as I waited. The trees surrounding the water were already changing color, their leaves a beautiful mix of golds and reds, and the moonlight reflected off the surface of the water in a shimmering glow. It would’ve been peaceful if my mind wasn’t racing.
I heard footsteps behind me, and I turned around to see Martinus walking toward me. He had his hands stuffed in his jacket pockets, his expression calm but serious.
"Thanks for coming," he said when he reached me, his voice low.
"I didn’t know if I should," I admitted, folding my arms against the chill in the air. "But here I am."
Martinus gave a small, understanding nod. "I get it. This is all… weird. For both of us."
We stood there in silence for a moment, the sound of the water gently lapping against the shore filling the air between us. I could feel the weight of what he wanted to say, and it made my heart race.
"Look," he began, turning to face me fully, "I know we’ve been dancing around this, but I can’t do it anymore. I’m done pretending that I don’t care about you."
My breath caught in my throat, the directness of his words hitting me harder than I’d expected. "Martinus…"
"I know you’re scared," he continued, stepping closer, his eyes locking onto mine. "Hell, I’m scared too. This wasn’t supposed to happen. You and me? We were always fighting, always at odds. But now… it’s different. And I don’t want to keep pretending like it’s not."
I swallowed, trying to steady my breathing. "What if we ruin everything? What if this doesn’t work?"
His gaze softened, and for a moment, he looked as vulnerable as I felt. "Maybe it won’t work. Maybe we’ll mess it all up. But I’d rather try and fail than keep acting like this doesn’t mean something."
My heart was pounding now, the fear and excitement swirling together in a dizzying mix. He was right—I was terrified. Terrified of letting myself feel something for him, of crossing that invisible line we’d drawn between us for so long. But at the same time, I couldn’t deny the pull I felt toward him, the way he made me feel something I hadn’t expected.
"I don’t know how to do this," I whispered, my voice barely audible.
"You don’t have to," he said softly, reaching out to take my hand. His touch was warm, grounding, and it sent a jolt of electricity up my arm. "We’ll figure it out. Together."
I looked down at our hands, my pulse racing. Part of me wanted to pull away, to run from this, but another part—one that was growing stronger by the second—wanted to stay. Wanted to see where this could go.
When I looked back up at him, his eyes were filled with a quiet determination that made my walls crumble just a little more.
"Okay," I said finally, my voice shaking slightly. "We’ll try."
A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips, and for the first time, I saw a glimpse of the Martinus that wasn’t always trying to provoke or challenge me. The real Martinus.
But before I could fully process what was happening, he stepped closer, his hand still holding mine. "There’s one more thing."
I raised an eyebrow, trying to ignore the way my heart was racing. "What’s that?"
He hesitated for a moment, like he was weighing his next words carefully. Then, without warning, he leaned in, closing the distance between us.
The kiss was soft at first, tentative, as if he was giving me a chance to pull away. But I didn’t. Instead, I found myself leaning into it, letting the warmth of his lips against mine chase away the doubts that had been plaguing me for so long.
When we finally pulled apart, both of us breathless, I felt a strange mix of relief and exhilaration.
"That," Martinus said quietly, his forehead resting against mine, "was something I’ve been wanting to do for a while."
I let out a shaky laugh, my nerves finally settling as I met his gaze. "Me too, I think."
We stood there for a moment longer, the world around us seeming to fade away. It was just us—the lake, the moonlight, and the undeniable shift between us.
"I guess we’ve crossed the line now," I murmured, my heart still racing.
Martinus smiled, his hand squeezing mine gently. "Yeah. And I don’t regret it."
Neither did I.
