Nia’s Pov
“Do you remember,” she began, eyes lifting to his with a small smile, “when we were younger? Maybe fourteen? We used to have those sleepovers with our friends, but somehow we always slipped away from them. Just you and me, sitting outside on the back steps, talking about everything and nothing.”
I felt the room pause.
Rowan’s posture changed…not tense, just… still.
Clara continued, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear like she was letting herself step into an old memory. “And that night… remember? We shared our first kiss.” Her voice lowered, softer now. “Well…my first kiss.”
My breath caught.
I hadn’t expected that. Not at all.
“That was when we were kids,” Rowan said, his tone gentle but firm. He didn’t step away, but he didn’t move closer either. “It was a long time
