As night fell, I decided to escape the confines of the house. The air inside felt heavy with tension, so I made my way up to the roof.

A cool breeze greeted me, and I took a deep breath, letting the night air calm my racing thoughts. Leaning against the railing, I looked up at the sky. 

It was vast, scattered with stars, and for a moment, I let myself get lost in its expanse. The unease from earlier still clung to me, but up here, things seemed a little easier.

I was just starting to relax when I heard a familiar voice.

“You found a good hiding spot, huh?”

I turned around to see Rafa stepping out from the shadows, a playful smile tugging at her lips. She approached the railing and leaned against it beside me, her eyes reflecting the light from the stars.

“I knew I’d find you up here,” she said with a knowing look.

I shrugged. 'Needed some space.'

'How about you?', glancing at her.

“I needed some fresh air too,” she replied, sighing softly. 

“It’s been a long day. With everyone around... it gets overwhelming.”

I nodded. 'Yeah, it does. It’s nice to just... get away from all the noise.'

Rafa laughed softly, shaking her head. 

“Remember when we were kids? You’d always sneak out like this whenever things got too noisy.”

I smiled at the memory. 'I wasn’t sneaking out. I was just... exploring,'

I teased, though we both knew that wasn’t the case.

“Oh, really? And what about the time you went out alone and got beaten up? You cried for hours,” she said, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

'Okay, stop,' I groaned, rubbing my forehead as if the memory still stung. 'That was seven years ago. I’m not a kid anymore.'

Rafa laughed again, and before I could react, she pinched my arm. “See? Still the same crybaby.”

'Ouch! You left another mark on me,' I winced dramatically, rubbing my arm.

She reached out, rubbing the spot she pinched, her touch gentle. “Sorry... but not really,” she said with a smirk.

I couldn’t help but laugh. 'It’s fine. I was just kidding.'

Rafa pulled away, resting her arms on the railing. Silence settled between us again, but this time it was comfortable. We both stared out at the village below, the soft glow of lights flickering in the distance. For a moment, it felt like the world had paused—no family tensions, no confusing feelings, just us and the quiet night.

After a while, Rafa spoke up again, her voice softer this time. 

“Hey, Azer?”

'Yeah?' I turned to her, curious.

“Promise me something,” she said, not looking at me but up at the stars.

'What?' I asked, my heart skipping a beat.

“Promise me that no matter what happens between our families, we’ll always have each other’s backs. You’re not just my cousin—you’re my friend. And I want it to stay that way.”

I stared at her for a moment, the sincerity in her voice catching me off guard. I could feel the weight of her words, and for the first time in a while, the unease in my chest seemed to lift.

'I promise, Rafa. No matter what happens, we’ll always stick together.'

She smiled at that, and for a moment, everything felt... right. The stars seemed closer, and the night didn’t feel as heavy anymore.I took a deep breath, my heart racing. 

'Rafa, I don’t think this is the right time, but I need to say it anyway.'

“What is it?” she asked, her expression shifting to one of curiosity mixed with concern.

'Look, I can’t keep pretending that I don’t have feelings for you. It’s more than just family or friendship for me. I like you—no, I care about you, a lot. And it hurts knowing you can’t see that.'

Rafa’s face fell, and she looked away, the light in her eyes dimming. 

“Azer, not now. This isn’t the time for this.”

'No, it is the time!' I snapped, frustration spilling over.

'Every moment we spend together feels like it’s building up to something, but you keep pushing me away. I just want to know where we stand! If you can’t accept me, fine, but at least be honest about it.'

She stared at me, her face a mix of shock and hurt. 

“I... I’ve been thinking a lot, Azer,” 

she began, her voice unsure. I glanced at her, confused.

'What about?'

She hesitated, biting her lip. 

“About us. About everything.”

My heart raced, and I suddenly felt the weight of her words. 

'What do you mean?'

She turned to face me, her eyes serious. 

“Azer, I care about you a lot. But... this thing between us, it’s complicated. I don’t think we should—”

'No,' 

I cut her off, my voice sharper than I intended.