The night should have ended there
Simple
Calm
Easy to walk away from
But it didn't
Elina had just stepped out of Victor's car, the quiet hum of the engine fading as he turned it off
The street was still, dimly lit, the kind of silence that usually brought her peace
"I'll walk you to the door," Victor said, stepping out
"You don't have to," she replied softly
"I know"
But he did anyway
They walked side by side, unhurried, neither of them rushing the moment
There was something gentle about it
Something that didn't demand anything from her
At her door, she paused, turning slightly toward him
"Thank you… for tonight"
Victor smiled, hands in his pockets
"You don't have to thank me"
"I do," she said quietly
There was a small pause
Not awkward
Just… full
"I meant what I said," he added, his voice softer now
"I'd like to see you again"
Elina held his gaze
And for once, she didn't feel the need to retreat from it
"I know," she replied
Another pause
This one deeper
Victor stepped a little closer, not enough to invade her space, just enough to be felt
"If I kiss you," he said quietly, "will you stop me"
Her breath caught slightly
Not from fear
But from the weight of the moment
For a second, her mind drifted
To another man
To confusion
To everything she had been trying to move away from
Then she looked back at Victor
Steady
Present
"No," she said softly
And he kissed her
It wasn't rushed
Wasn't demanding
Just slow
Careful
Like he was giving her time to change her mind
But she didn't
Her fingers curled slightly against his shirt, not pulling him closer, not pushing him away
Just… there
And for a moment
It felt easy
Until—
A car door shut somewhere behind them
The sound was sharp in the quiet night
Elina pulled back first
Her heart shifting slightly, something in her chest tightening without explanation
Victor frowned slightly, glancing past her shoulder
And then he saw him
Belonia
Standing a few steps away, his expression unreadable, his presence heavy in a way that changed everything instantly
The air shifted
Elina turned slowly
And there he was
Watching
Not angry
Not loud
But something in his eyes—
It wasn't calm
"What are you doing here" Victor asked, his tone no longer as relaxed
Belonia didn't answer him
His gaze was fixed on Elina
She felt it immediately
That weight
That pull she had tried so hard to step away from
"I came to speak with you," he said finally
His voice low
Controlled
"At this time of the night" Victor added, clearly not impressed
Belonia's eyes flickered to him briefly
Then back to her
"Yes"
Elina swallowed softly
Her mind trying to catch up with everything happening at once
"This isn't appropriate," Victor said, stepping slightly forward
Not aggressive
But protective
Belonia didn't react to him
Not really
"I wasn't speaking to you," he said calmly
The tension snapped tighter
Elina stepped in before it could escalate
"It's fine," she said softly, though her voice wasn't as steady as she wanted it to be
Victor looked at her
Searching
"Are you sure"
She nodded
A pause
Then he exhaled quietly
"I'll call you," he said, his tone softer again as he looked at her
Elina nodded once more
Victor didn't leave immediately
He looked at Belonia one last time
Then turned and walked back to his car
The silence that followed was heavier than anything before
Elina didn't turn around right away
She needed a second
Just one
"What did you want to say" she asked finally
Still facing her door
Belonia took a step closer
"You kissed him"
It wasn't a question
Elina closed her eyes briefly
Then turned
"Yes"
The word was simple
But it landed harder than anything else
His jaw tightened
"And that's it" he asked
"What do you mean"
"You just… move on like that"
There was something in his voice now
Something less controlled
Elina looked at him carefully
Trying to understand what he was asking
Or maybe what he wasn't saying
"You don't get to question that," she said quietly
His eyes narrowed slightly
"Why not"
"Because you chose your side already," she replied
Not harsh
Just honest
Clara
The unspoken name sat between them
Belonia stepped closer
Close enough now that the distance between them felt intentional
"That's not the same thing"
"It is to me," she said
Silence
"You don't even understand what you're doing," he said, his voice lower now
Elina let out a small breath
"And neither do you"
That stopped him
Because she wasn't wrong
"You think this is simple," he added
"No," she replied softly
"I think it's clear"
That word
Clear
It felt like something closing
Belonia ran a hand through his hair, something rare, something restless
"I don't like this," he said
Elina's expression softened slightly
Not in weakness
But in understanding
"It's not about what you like," she said gently
Another silence
And this time
There was nothing left to fill it
Belonia looked at her for a long moment
Like he was trying to say something else
Something deeper
But he didn't
Instead, he stepped back
And just like that
The moment slipped away
Elina watched him leave
Her chest tight
Her thoughts quiet
Because no matter how much she wanted peace
He still had a way of disturbing it