A Little Too Far

Chapter 13: Uncharted Territory

The following days passed in a blur of study sessions and shared meals, each moment deepening the bond between Dustin and Catarina. Their dynamic had shifted, and while they were still the best friends they had always been, there was now an undeniable undercurrent of desire that pulsed between them.

One evening, Dustin found himself sitting at his desk, cramming for a midterm. The soft glow of his desk lamp illuminated the pages of his textbook, but his mind kept wandering back to Catarina. He could still feel the warmth of her skin against his from their last kiss, and it was driving him crazy.

He was lost in thought when his phone buzzed on the desk, jolting him back to reality. It was a message from Catarina: "Hey! You free to hang out? I need a break from studying."

His heart raced at the thought of seeing her again. "Always! Come over?"

A few moments later, there was a knock at his door, and Dustin sprang up, throwing the door open to reveal Catarina standing there, a bright smile on her face.

"Hey! I brought snacks!" she announced, holding up a bag of popcorn and a couple of sodas.

"Perfect timing! I was just about to take a break," he said, stepping aside to let her in.

Catarina made herself comfortable on his bed, crossing her legs under her as she settled down. "You've been working too hard, Dustin. You need to relax."

"I guess I have been," he admitted, joining her on the bed. "But it's hard to concentrate when you're on my mind all the time."

She looked up at him, her expression softening. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"Definitely a good thing," he said, his voice low. "It just makes it harder to focus on anything else."

Catarina bit her lip, her cheeks flushing slightly. "Maybe I can help with that?"

Dustin's heart raced at her suggestion. "What do you have in mind?"

"Let's watch a movie and just... hang out. No studying, no distractions. Just us," she proposed, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Deal," he replied, reaching for his remote. He scrolled through the movies, eventually landing on a romantic comedy they both loved.

As the opening credits rolled, he stole glances at her. She was completely engrossed in the film, and he couldn't help but admire how beautiful she looked in the dim light. There was something captivating about her—her expressive eyes, the way her lips curled into a smile at the funny moments.

As the movie played, the tension between them began to build again. There was something electric in the air, a magnetism that pulled them closer together.

During a particularly romantic scene, Dustin felt bold. He leaned over, resting his head on her shoulder, allowing the moment to unfold naturally. To his surprise, she leaned into him, her warmth enveloping him like a soft blanket.

They remained like that for a while, comfortable yet charged. Dustin could feel his heart pounding in his chest, the proximity igniting a fire within him.

"Dustin?" Catarina said softly, breaking the silence.

"Yeah?" he replied, turning his head slightly to look at her.

"I've been thinking... about us," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Me too," he confessed, his heart racing. "It's hard not to."

She turned to face him fully, her expression serious yet vulnerable. "What if we... I don't know, took a leap? You know, see where this goes?"

Dustin's breath caught in his throat. "You mean... like, officially dating?"