A Dance with Destiny

Chapter 15

Mattheo felt the shift in Diana as they stood there, his hand still gently holding hers, her expression slowly transforming from uncertainty to something more confident, more sure. The way she'd opened up to him, her worries spilling out, made him realize just how much she cared—how much she wanted this, wanted them to work. And that vulnerability, that honesty, was exactly what made her different. It was the thing that drew him in deeper.

He didn't care about how his friends would react or what anyone else thought about Diana. He only cared about her—about the way she made him feel, the way her presence calmed the constant buzz in his mind.

When she had expressed her doubts, he could feel the weight of her fears, her need for reassurance. He understood that. After all, he had his own insecurities buried beneath the surface. It wasn't easy for someone like him, someone constantly surrounded by the expectations of others, to open up. But Diana... Diana made him feel like it was okay to just be himself, without worrying about what anyone else thought.

He couldn't help but smile when she laughed, the sound like music to his ears. There was something magical about it—the way her eyes sparkled when she did, the way the world seemed to shift around her in those fleeting moments.

"I think we're good, Diana," he said softly, his thumb brushing across her knuckles as he kept his gaze locked on hers. "We're more than good, actually."

She looked at him, her green eyes gleaming with a mixture of curiosity and amusement. "You're sure about that? About me?"

He nodded, his heart pounding a little faster as he leaned in, his lips brushing the top of her head before he pulled back to meet her gaze. "I'm sure," he said, his voice steady but filled with quiet conviction. "I haven't been this sure about anything in a long time."

There was a pause between them, and for a moment, Mattheo felt something unfamiliar—a softness, a sense of peace that he hadn't realized he'd been searching for. He was used to being in control, to knowing exactly what came next, but with Diana, there was no script, no plan. And strangely, that made him feel more alive than he had in years.

Her eyes softened, her fingers still entwined with his as she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm not perfect, you know. I'm not like the other girls. And I don't know if your friends are going to like me."

Mattheo cut her off gently, his other hand reaching up to tilt her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze again. "You don't need to be perfect, Diana," he said, his tone firm. "You're perfect to me. And my friends—if they don't like you, then that's their problem, not yours."

He watched as the tension in her shoulders eased, the doubt that had been clouding her expression slowly lifting. She wasn't looking for validation, but somehow, she needed it. She needed to know that he truly cared, that he wasn't just saying the right things to make her feel better. And he realized as he stood there, that he had never been more sure of something in his life.

"Do you really mean that?" she asked quietly, her voice uncertain but hopeful. In her heart she felt happiness like never before and wonders if everything will turn out alright.

"Of course, I do," Mattheo said, his thumb tracing circles on her hand as he held her gaze, his heart steady in his chest. "You don't need to change for anyone. Not for me. Not for my friends. Just be you. That's more than enough."

Diana's lips parted in surprise, and for a brief moment, she didn't say anything. It was as if the weight of his words had caught her off guard, the sincerity in them making something inside her shift.

"Okay," she whispered, as if she was still processing the depth of what he had just said. "I guess I'm okay with being me. As long as you are."

Mattheo leaned in closer, brushing his lips lightly against hers in a soft, reassuring kiss. He didn't rush it—he let it linger for just a moment longer than usual, as if to remind her, and himself, that they were in this together. When he pulled away, his eyes never left hers, his voice barely a breath.

"I'm more than okay with it," he murmured, the words carrying weight. "I wouldn't want anyone else but you."

Her cheeks flushed slightly, and for a moment, she looked away, as if trying to hide the way his words affected her. But Mattheo could see the shift—the way the uncertainty in her eyes had been replaced with something deeper, something more trusting. She believed him.

With a small, shy smile, Diana nodded. "Then I guess we're good."

He chuckled softly, his heart light as he pulled her into his side, the warmth of her body against his feeling like the most natural thing in the world. "We're better than good," he said, a smirk tugging at his lips as he leaned down, brushing his lips against her temple. "We're unstoppable."

Diana's laugh was a soft, melodic sound that made Mattheo's chest swell with something he couldn't quite put into words. But it didn't matter. He had never felt this way before—like he was exactly where he needed to be, with exactly the right person.

They stood there for a while, wrapped in each other's presence, the noise of the world fading into the background. He wasn't sure what the future held or what it would look like with Diana, but for the first time in a long time, Mattheo felt like he was finally starting to find his place in the world—beside her.

And that was enough for now.