The cursor blinked. Once. Twice. Again.
Adrian hadn't written a single line. His fingers hovered over the keyboard, unmoving, like they no longer belonged to him. The melody in his head had been there earlier.... faint, unfinish but now it was gone. Replaced. By something else. "You didn't stop me." Adrian slammed the laptop shut.
The sound echoed louder than it should have.
"Fuck," he muttered under his breath, dragging his hands down his face.
Why that part? Why not the kiss itself? Why that accusation?
Because it was true. He stood abruptly, pacing his room. Back and forth. Back and forth. Like movement would shake it out of him. It didn't. He remembered everything too clearly. Rion's hand around his wrist. The wall at his back. The way his body reacted before his mind caught up. The way he didn't push him away. Not immediately. Not fast enough.
"I didn't expect you to..." The unfinished sentence echoed in his head. Over and over again. Because he still didn't know how to finish it.
Didn't expect you to kiss me? Didn't expect you to want me? Didn't expect myself to...
His chest tightened. Sharp. Uncomfortable.
His phone buzzed. Adrian's eyes snapped toward it. Then away. No. Not yet.
"Adrian!" His mother's voice cut through the tension like a knife.
"Yeah!" he called back, his voice tighter than he intended.
He grabbed his hoodie and stepped out of his room before his thoughts could follow.
The house looked smaller today. Or maybe it was just full. Boxes stacked against walls. Old furniture dragged out of place. The air smelled like dust and something ending.
His mom stood in the middle of it all, holding a photo frame. She didn't notice him at first.
She was staring at it.
"Hey," Adrian said.
She blinked, quickly setting it down.
"Oh, good. You're here."
He nodded, stepping forward, grabbing the nearest box just to have something to do.
"What's left?"
"Everything," she sighed. "Turns out, I've been hoarding memories."
Adrian let out a dry huff.
"Yeah, I can see that."
But his voice lacked weight. Because his mind was somewhere else. Still.
They worked. Or at least, they moved things around pretending it meant something.
Adrian dropped a box harder than necessary.
His mom looked at him. Noticed. Of course she did.
"Okay," she said slowly. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Too fast. Too automatic.
She wiped her hands on her jeans, walking closer.
"Adrian."
He avoided her eyes.
"I said I'm fine."
"You always say that when you're not."
Silence stretched between them. Tighter this time. Less comfortable.
She studied him. Then asked, softer
"Are you seeing someone?"
Adrian stilled. Not dramatically. Just enough.
"No." The answer came out flat. Empty.
His mom tilted her head slightly.
"Are you sure?, you look confused about something"
That hit. Harder than expected.
Adrian let out a short, humorless laugh.
Me? Confused?"
"Yes Adrian," she said. "I've been watching you."
He looked away again.That was worse.
"There's just…" he started, then stopped.
Because saying it out loud would make it real. And he wasn't ready for that.
"He kissed me." The words slipped out before he could stop them.
The room went quiet. Adrian froze. Like he hadn't meant to say it. Like he wanted to take it back.
His mom didn't react the way he expected. No shock. No judgment. Just attention.
"And?" she asked gently.
Adrian swallowed. Hard. "I didn't stop him."
There it was. The part that mattered.
His chest tightened again, sharper this time.
Because saying it out loud made it heavier.
More real.
"Did you want to?" she asked.
Adrian opened his mouth. Closed it. Looked away.
"I don't know." That was the truth. And he hated it.
His mom stepped closer, not touching him, just standing there.
"Adrian," she said quietly, "not knowing is one thing."
A pause.
"But lying to yourself is another."
His jaw tightened.
"I'm not lying."
"Aren't you?"
Silence. Heavy. Unforgiving.
He thought about it again. That moment. That pause. That second where everything could have gone differently and didn't.
"…It didn't feel wrong." The words came out barely above a whisper.
His mom nodded. Like she'd been waiting for that.
"Then why are you acting like it did? Or was he bad kisser?" she said jokingly.
Adrian replied laughing; "Mom, stop"
He goes back to carrying the boxes. His phone buzzed again. This time, louder. Closer. Impossible to ignore. He reached for it slowly. Like it might burn him.
Rion: I'm sorry.
I shouldn't have done that like that.
Not without knowing where your head is at.
But don't act like it didn't mean anything.
Because it did.
At least to me.
Just… tell me if I crossed a line you can't come back from.
Or if you're just scared to admit there wasn't one.
Adrian's grip tightened around his phone. His pulse picked up. That last message hit too close.
His mom watched him carefully.
"You don't have to answer right now," she said.
But Adrian barely heard her.