In the quiet of Us

Chapter 6: Tides of Change

The week following Talia’s gathering was a blur of business meetings, brainstorming sessions, and late-night planning. Silvia found herself juggling the responsibilities of her café, the resort project, and coordinating with Talia on design elements. Still, it was the quiet moments, the ones when Carlos slipped into her thoughts uninvited, that made her feel unsettled. She had been trying to ignore the pull between them, but every time they spoke, it became harder to do so.

By Friday, Silvia was exhausted. She had spent the better part of the day reviewing financial reports for the resort, and now she was sitting at a small café near her bakery, sipping on an espresso to get through the last stretch of the workday.

Her phone buzzed on the table. A message from Talia.

“We’re meeting at my place tonight for a group catch-up. Don’t be late!”

Silvia smiled, tapping out a quick response: “Got it. See you soon.”

---

By the time she arrived at Talia’s, the others had already gathered. Noah was lounging on the couch, feet up, flipping through a travel magazine, while Ricky was sketching in a notebook, his usual focus sharp. William was at the bar, pouring a drink, and Talia was setting the table for dinner.

“Hey!” Silvia greeted, taking in the familiar, cozy scene.

Noah glanced up, grinning. “You’re just in time! Talia’s about to serve the feast.”

“Feast?” Silvia raised an eyebrow. “I thought we were just doing a quick meeting.”

Talia shrugged nonchalantly. “The meeting was over before you even got here. We’re just eating now.”

“Typical,” Silvia muttered with a laugh.

Carlos appeared from the kitchen just as she spoke, holding a tray of appetizers. His eyes met hers across the room, and for a moment, everything else faded. There was an unspoken understanding between them—a familiarity that was still new but beginning to feel inevitable.

“Hey,” Carlos said with a casual smile, placing the tray down. “I made these. I hope you like them.”

Silvia couldn’t help but smile back, despite herself. “You cooked?”

Carlos shrugged, a playful glint in his eyes. “Just something simple.”

She moved closer to the table, reaching for one of the appetizers. “I didn’t know you could cook.”

“I’m full of surprises,” Carlos said, his voice dropping slightly, as if the words carried more weight than he intended.

The brief exchange lingered between them, and Silvia was grateful when Talia interrupted.

“Alright, everyone, dig in before Noah finishes it all,” Talia said with her usual commanding tone.

The group settled around the table, but the energy between Silvia and Carlos was palpable. Silvia found herself stealing glances at him when she thought no one was looking, her heart racing in a way that she couldn’t quite explain.

---

As the evening progressed, the group fell into its familiar rhythm. Laughter filled the room as Noah and Ricky engaged in a playful debate about the best travel destinations, while William listened, amused, offering sarcastic commentary when necessary. Talia, as always, played the role of both organizer and mediator, her presence effortlessly keeping everyone grounded.

Carlos, too, joined in the banter, his wit sharp and his easy charm evident. But Silvia noticed, with a sense of reluctance, that when he spoke, it was often to her. Whether it was sharing a funny anecdote from his acting career or asking her opinion on something, he seemed to seek her out more than the others.

At one point, the conversation shifted to the resort project, and the group dove into a serious discussion about logistics and design. Carlos, though interested, quietly observed, letting the others take the lead. He seemed content to let Talia guide the conversation, even though he was more than capable of contributing.

Silvia, however, felt his eyes on her, and every now and then, she would glance over and find him watching her with an intensity that made her pulse quicken.

---

After dinner, the group migrated to the rooftop garden once again. The evening air was cool, and the city skyline stretched out before them, its lights twinkling like stars in the distance. They settled into their usual spots, and Carlos found himself beside Silvia once more, though this time, there was a subtle shift in the air.

No one else seemed to notice, wrapped up in their own conversations, but Silvia felt it. The way Carlos was sitting just a little closer than usual, his arm brushing against hers occasionally. The way his voice seemed lower, more intimate when he spoke to her.

“What’s on your mind?” he asked softly, leaning closer.

Silvia took a deep breath, trying to keep her composure. “Just... thinking about the project. We still have a lot to figure out.”

Carlos smiled, though there was something deeper behind it. “It’s more than that, isn’t it?”

Silvia raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“You’re not really thinking about the resort right now, are you?” Carlos said, his gaze never leaving hers.

She hesitated, unsure of how to respond. There was something in his eyes that made her heart race, something that made her want to be honest with him—but at the same time, she was terrified of what being honest might mean.

“I’m not... I’m just tired,” she said finally, her voice a little too soft.

Carlos nodded, as if understanding, but he didn’t back away. “I get it,” he said quietly. “But I think you’re afraid to admit something else.”

Silvia’s breath caught in her throat. “What do you mean?”

Carlos leaned in, his voice barely above a whisper. “That maybe you feel something too. Something more than just friendship.”

For a heartbeat, neither of them moved. The world seemed to hold its breath.

But then Talia’s voice cut through the silence. “You two are up to something, aren’t you?” she said, glancing over from the other side of the roof.

Silvia and Carlos pulled back quickly, the moment slipping away like sand through their fingers. Talia raised an eyebrow but said nothing more, a knowing smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

---

The rest of the night passed without incident, but the undercurrent of tension between Silvia and Carlos lingered. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted—that maybe, despite her best efforts, she was beginning to feel something for him after all.

As she said her goodbyes and left Talia’s loft, her mind was clouded with confusion. She had worked so hard to keep things casual, to keep her heart safe. But Carlos... Carlos was slowly breaking down the walls she had so carefully built.

And, much to her surprise, she wasn’t sure she wanted them up anymore.

---x---

This is an original work created by me, the author, and all content within this story is my intellectual property. Any resemblance to other works, real events, or people is purely coincidental.

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