The world felt lighter these days. The tension that once lingered between them like an invisible barrier had faded, replaced by something that almost felt like before.
Aria wasn't sure when it happened, but being around Tobias felt... easy again. No more awkward silences. No more carefully measured words. No more avoiding each other's gazes like strangers walking past each other on the street.
Now, they argued over dumb things again. They laughed at each other's misery. They stole food from each other's plates. It was like nothing had ever changed.
And yet, something was different.
It was about Tobias.
Every time Tobias leaned close to show her something on his phone, her heartbeat would stutter. When he laughed, something warm bloomed in her chest. And when their hands accidentally brushed while passing something, she felt an odd jolt run through her body.
She could feel it.
—---
"You're cheating!" Tobias accused, pointing at her screen.
Aria scoffed, not even looking up. "You just suck at this game."
They were at his place, playing a fighting game on the console. Well, she was winning, and he was losing. Badly.
Tobias groaned. "I swear, you—" He yelped when her character landed a final blow, knocking his out. "No way!"
Aria threw her arms in the air. "I won again. So now let me decide your punishment......" Aria thought before speaking "How about you buy me Ice-cream for the next 2 weeks? Sounds perfect right?"
Tobias dramatically fell back on the couch, groaning. "I hate you."
She grinned. "No, you don't."
He turned his head to look at her. His expression was unreadable for a second before he smiled. "Yeah, yeah. Btw tomorrow is weekend. Do you wanna hang out tomorrow?"
"Ok" Aria said happily.
Her heart did that weird little flip again.
She ignored it.
—---
The next morning, they found themselves in a small bookstore near campus. It had started raining out of nowhere, and since neither of them had an umbrella, they had run inside for cover.
Aria browsed through a section of novels, running her fingers over the spines. Tobias stood beside her, flipping through a series of book with unimpressed look..
"You actually read these?" he asked, holding up a romance novel.
Aria rolled her eyes. "Yes. And put that down before you ruin it with your dumb fingers."
He smirked and flipped a page just to annoy her. "Let me guess, the guy is a cold super handsome brooding billionaire CEO?"
Aria snatched the book from his hands. "Shut up."
Tobias chuckled. "Would you ever date a guy like that?"
She turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "Like what?"
"You know, the overprotective, jealous, mysterious type."
Her mind flashed back to all the times Tobias had gotten jealous. The way he had pulled away. The way his expressions darkened whenever another guy so much as looked at her.
She swallowed. "Depends."
"On?"
She stared at him for a second longer than she should have. "...The guy."
YOU ARE READING
Hearts in Bloom
Romansa"Some love burns like fire. Ours bloomed like a secret garden-quiet, patient, and unforgettable." Hearts In Bloom is a romance novel about the blossoming connection between two best friends, set against the backdrop of friendship, personal growth, a...
