That evening, the energy between us had shifted completely. Martinus and I were no longer dancing around unspoken feelings—we had both opened the door to something real, something that felt like it had been quietly building for weeks. The others had noticed, too. Nora kept giving me knowing glances, and Emma was unusually quiet, likely observing the new dynamic forming between her brother and me.
After dinner, we decided to go for a walk by the lake again. The day had been full, but I felt this urge to keep the momentum going, to spend as much time as possible with Martinus. The night sky above was breathtaking, just like the night before, but now the air between us felt different—charged with excitement and the possibility of something new.
“Are we going stargazing again?” Marcus teased as we walked outside. His arm was wrapped around Nora, who was leaning into him, looking peaceful and content.
“Maybe,” Martinus said, throwing a sly smile in my direction. “It’s kind of our thing now.”
Emma raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything, while Nora giggled softly. I could feel the playful tension, but instead of feeling awkward, I found myself laughing along with them.
As we reached the edge of the lake, Marcus and Nora drifted off towards the dock, leaving Martinus and me alone again. The reflection of the moon shimmered on the surface of the water, creating a beautiful, serene atmosphere. We spread out a blanket on the grass and lay down next to each other, looking up at the stars.
I felt his hand brush against mine, and my heart raced. The simple touch sent electricity through me, and I shifted closer to him without even thinking.
“Do you ever think about how small we are compared to all this?” he asked, his voice quiet, almost thoughtful.
“All the time,” I replied softly. “But in a weird way, it makes everything we feel so much more important, like our moments are small but significant.”
He turned his head to look at me, and our eyes met. “I think this moment is significant.”
I felt a warmth spread through me, and I couldn’t hold back anymore. “I’ve been thinking a lot about last night,” I confessed. “And today, too. I didn’t expect things to happen between us like this, but I’m glad they did.”
He nodded, his expression serious but soft. “Me too. I don’t know what it is about you, but you’ve been on my mind since the day we met—even when we were butting heads.”
I laughed softly. “We were really good at that.”
He smiled, but there was something deeper behind his eyes now. “I wasn’t sure at first. I thought maybe we were just too different. But then, the more I got to know you, the more I realized… it’s not about the differences. It’s about how we connect, how we make each other better.”
His words sent my heart into overdrive. “You make me feel like I can be myself,” I admitted. “I’ve never really had that with anyone before.”
He shifted closer, his hand finally finding mine and holding it gently. “You don’t have to be anything but yourself with me, Y/N. I like you exactly as you are.”
The sincerity in his voice made my heart swell. For a moment, we just lay there, our hands intertwined, both of us letting the weight of the moment sink in.
“I never thought I’d fall for you,” I said quietly, my gaze fixed on the stars above us. “But here I am.”
“I didn’t think I would, either,” he admitted, his thumb brushing over the back of my hand. “But now… I can’t imagine it any other way.”
His words hung in the air, and I felt the world around us blur, leaving just the two of us and the night sky. There was something so perfect about this moment—so honest and raw. I turned to him, and without a word, he leaned in, his lips meeting mine in the softest, most tender kiss.
It was gentle at first, like we were both testing the waters. But as the kiss deepened, I felt a rush of emotion flood through me, and I knew in that moment that this was real. This wasn’t just a fleeting attraction or the result of circumstance. This was something we had both grown into—something deeper than either of us had expected.
When we finally pulled apart, his forehead rested against mine, and I could feel the warmth of his breath against my skin. “I’ve wanted to do that for a while now,” he whispered, his voice a little breathless.
“Me too,” I whispered back, feeling a little lightheaded but in the best way possible.
We stayed like that for a moment, both of us basking in the glow of what had just happened. I felt like I was floating, like the world had shifted on its axis and suddenly everything made sense.
“Does this mean we’re… something now?” I asked, my voice laced with uncertainty but also hope.
He chuckled softly, his thumb still brushing over my hand. “I think it does. I mean, if you want it to.”
“I want it,” I said quickly, my cheeks heating up at my eagerness. “I really do.”
“Good,” he said, his voice low and full of warmth. “Because I want this too.”
The weight of his words settled over me, and I felt a deep sense of contentment wash over me. I never expected to find this kind of connection here, of all places, but now that I had, I didn’t want to let it go.
As we lay there, our fingers intertwined, the rest of the world seemed to fade away. It was just me and Martinus, under the stars, in this perfect little moment that felt like the beginning of something truly special.
---
Eventually, we made our way back to the cabin, where the others were waiting. Marcus raised an eyebrow when we walked in, but he didn’t say anything. Nora, however, couldn’t contain her excitement.
“Well?!” she asked, her eyes wide with curiosity. “Did anything happen?”
I exchanged a look with Martinus, and we both smiled.
“Maybe,” I said, my voice teasing.
Nora squealed, and Marcus just shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips. Emma, who had been watching from the couch, simply nodded, a knowing look on her face.
“I knew it,” she said quietly. “It was only a matter of time.”
As the night went on, I felt lighter, freer, like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I had spent so long denying my feelings, trying to convince myself that Martinus and I were just too different. But now, everything felt right.
And as I lay in bed that night, the memory of our kiss replaying in my mind, I knew that this was only the beginning of something beautiful—something real.
For the first time in a long time, I felt like I was exactly where I was meant to be. And that place was with Martinus.
