The rain softened slowly around them.
Not stopping completely.
Just quieter now.
Like even the storm was listening.
Andrea stood frozen near the lake, Samuel only inches away from her now.
Her breathing felt uneven.
Dangerously uneven.
Because she didn't know what to do with this.
With him.
With someone looking at her like that.
Samuel didn't move away.
Neither did she.
Andrea laughed weakly through the tears still running down her face.
"This is a really bad idea."
Samuel tilted his head slightly.
"Why?"
Andrea stared at him.
"Because people always leave."
Samuel's expression softened again.
"I'm not people."
Andrea's chest tightened painfully.
"You can't promise that."
Samuel held her gaze.
"I know."
Silence.
Andrea looked down.
The water beside them moved softly from the rain.
"You'll regret this eventually," she whispered.
Samuel frowned slightly.
"Regret what?"
Andrea gestured vaguely between them.
"Me."
Samuel answered too quickly.
"No."
Andrea shook her head immediately.
"You don't know everything yet."
Samuel took another step closer.
"Then tell me."
Andrea let out a shaky breath.
"You make everything sound easy."
"It's not easy."
"Then why are you still here?"
Samuel looked at her for a long moment.
Then—
"Because you matter to me."
Andrea's heart stopped.
Actually stopped.
The words hit so hard she physically looked away.
"No," she whispered immediately.
Samuel frowned.
"No?"
"You can't say things like that to me."
Samuel's voice stayed calm.
"Why not?"
Andrea laughed weakly again.
"Because I don't know how to handle it."
That honesty slipped out before she could stop it.
Samuel's expression changed slightly.
Softer.
More careful.
Like he understood how fragile this moment really was.
"You don't have to handle it perfectly," he said quietly.
Andrea shook her head.
"You don't understand."
"Then help me understand."
Andrea swallowed hard.
"I get attached too fast."
Samuel didn't react negatively.
Didn't pull away.
Didn't laugh.
Andrea continued quietly,
"And when people leave… it destroys me."
Samuel's jaw tightened slightly.
"Who said I'm leaving?"
Andrea finally looked back at him.
"You still could."
Samuel nodded once.
"Yeah."
Andrea's eyes burned again.
"But I'm still here now."
That somehow hurt the most.
Because he meant it.
Andrea could hear it in his voice.
See it in his face.
And that terrified her.
The space between them felt impossibly small now.
Samuel looked at her like he was waiting for something.
Andrea didn't know what.
Or maybe she did.
Her heartbeat was so loud she thought he could probably hear it.
"I hate this," she whispered.
Samuel raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Hate what?"
Andrea laughed nervously.
"How you make me feel calm."
Samuel smiled faintly.
"That's a new insult."
Andrea shook her head.
"I'm serious."
Samuel's voice softened.
"I know."
Andrea looked away again.
"You're supposed to annoy me."
"I still can."
That made her laugh unexpectedly.
A real laugh this time.
Samuel smiled slightly when he heard it.
Andrea noticed.
"Stop doing that."
"Doing what?"
"Looking at me like that."
Samuel stepped just a little closer.
"How am I looking at you?"
Andrea's breath caught.
She couldn't answer.
Because the truth was—
He looked at her like she was something important.
Something worth protecting.
Something worth staying for.
And Andrea had never experienced that before.
Not genuinely.
Samuel's hand slowly lifted toward her face.
Careful.
Like he was giving her time to pull away.
But she didn't.
His fingers brushed gently against her cheek, wiping away rainwater—or maybe tears.
Andrea stopped breathing for a second.
Samuel looked at her quietly.
"So stop running."
The words hit deep.
Too deep.
Andrea's eyes searched his face desperately.
Like she was trying to figure out if this was real.
If he was real.
Then quietly—
Very quietly—
She whispered,
"I don't know how."
Samuel's thumb brushed softly against her cheek once.
"Then stay."
Silence.
Andrea felt like the entire world disappeared around them.
Just the rain.
The lake.
Him.
Her lips parted slightly like she wanted to say something.
But nothing came out.
Because deep down—
She already knew.
This was the moment everything changed.