That night, Ariana couldn't sleep properly.
She wasn't crying.
She wasn't overexcited.
She just kept replaying everything.
The way he stood near the café door.
The way he fixed her bag strap without making it awkward.
The way he said his name.
Nick.
She turned to her other side and stared at the wall.
"Stop thinking," she muttered to herself.
Her phone buzzed.
She picked it up immediately.
Nick: Reached home?
She stared at the message for a few seconds before replying.
Ariana: Yes.
A minute later—
Nick: You didn't run away.
She rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.
Ariana: I thought about it.
Nick: I could tell.
She sat up slightly.
Ariana: You looked very confident.
There was a pause.
Nick: I wasn't.
She frowned at the screen.
Ariana: You didn't look nervous at all.
Nick: That's because I didn't want you to panic.
That made her quiet.
She hadn't realized he was thinking about her reactions that much.
After a moment, she typed—
Ariana: It was strange.
Nick: In a bad way?
She hesitated.
Ariana: No. Just… different.
She didn't want to admit that she was surprised by how tall he was. Or how calm. Or how real he felt.
Another message came.
Nick: I've imagined that meeting so many times.
Her heart skipped slightly.
She didn't like that feeling.
It made things serious.
She changed the topic.
Ariana: Next year is board year.
There was a small pause.
Nick: I know.
Ariana: College depends on it.
Nick: And?
She sighed.
Ariana: I can't lose focus.
Long pause.
Then—
Nick: Am I making you lose focus?
She didn't reply immediately.
Because she didn't know the answer.