But then, the unthinkable happens...

As we stand there, the weight of our emotions palpable, the air shifts, and in a moment of pure instinct, I lean in closer, and she meets me halfway. 

Our lips touch, soft and tentative at first, like a fragile promise. 

The world around us fades into nothingness.When our mouths connect, warmth floods through me, igniting every nerve ending. 

It’s as if time stops, the chilly night air is forgotten. 

I can taste the faint sweetness of her breath, and a rush of emotions overwhelms me—fear, exhilaration, longing. 

I feel her hesitation but also the spark of connection that pulls us together. 

She presses into me, and I instinctively wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her closer, needing to feel her warmth against the cold.

Rafa’s lips are soft and hesitant, but there’s an urgency beneath that soft exterior. 

I can feel her heart racing against my chest, matching the frantic pace of mine. 

Every doubt, every worry fades away, and in this moment, it’s just us. I want to memorize this feeling—the way she melts against me, the taste of her kiss, the way everything feels right, even if just for a fleeting moment.

As we slowly pull apart, our breaths mingle in the chilly air, and we both freeze. 

'That was… our FIRST KISS'

I stammer, heat flooding my cheeks.

“I can’t believe we just did that,” 

she says, her voice a mixture of disbelief and delight.

'Neither can I,'

I reply, a smile breaking through the confusion.But then, reality crashes back in, and

I remember the agreement we made, the unspoken rules we both know we need to follow. 

We laugh awkwardly, the embarrassment hanging between us like a fragile thread, until a shout from downstairs interrupts us.

“Azer! Rafa! Dinner time!”

We exchange a knowing look, our hearts still racing. 

“I guess we should go,” 

she says, her voice barely above a whisper.

'Yeah, we should,' I agreed,

though I want to stay in this moment forever.As we head back inside, the warmth of the house feels suffocating compared to the clarity of the night air. 

I caught Rafa’s eye one last time, and in that brief moment, we both understand—we might have to keep our feelings at bay, but we can’t ignore what’s blooming between us. 

The future is uncertain, but for now, we have this moment, and it’s everything.

At the dinner table, the atmosphere is warm and lively as the family talks and laughs, but I can barely focus. My mind keeps replaying the kiss, every detail burned into my memory. 

I sneak a glance at Rafa, who’s sitting across from me, but she’s looking down at her plate, avoiding eye contact just as I am. There’s a subtle flush on her cheeks, and I know she’s thinking about it too.

“So, Azer, how’s the city treating you?” My father asks, pulling me back into the present.

'Oh, uh, it’s good,' 

trying to sound normal while pushing the food around my plate. 

'Busy, but I’m getting used to it.'

The conversation shifts to the usual family talk, but I can feel Rafa’s presence in every heartbeat. Her silence speaks volumes. 

She’s laughing along with the others, but every so often, I see her biting her lip, the same way she did just before we kissed. I feel like the whole room can see right through us, but thankfully, no one seems to notice the tension.

Suddenly, one of our younger cousins, oblivious to the awkwardness between us, pipes up.

“Azer, Rafa! Why are you two so quiet? You always talk so much! Did something happen?”

He grins, thinking it’s just a casual question, but I nearly choke on my food.

Rafa lets out a nervous laugh, still not meeting my eyes.

“N-nothing happened,” she stammers, her voice higher than usual. 

“We’re just tired, that’s all.”

I nod quickly in agreement.

'Yeah, just a long day.'

Our aunt chuckles. 

“Teenagers always have their own world, don’t they? Must be all that thinking about school and friends.”

'Yeah, that’s it,'

grateful for the excuse but feeling like my heart might burst out of my chest.We make it through the rest of dinner, both of us stealing glances but never meeting eyes. 

Every accidental brush of our hands when we reach for something feels electric. I can tell Rafa’s just as flustered as I am.

As the meal wraps up, my father suggests we all take a walk outside to enjoy the cold night air. I glance at Rafa, wondering if we’ll end up alone again,

but before I can even react, she excuses herself.

“I think I’ll stay inside. I’m feeling a little cold,” she says,

her voice soft and nervous.I nod, trying to hide my disappointment, but also feeling a strange sense of relief. Maybe we both need some space to process what happened. 

As the rest of the family heads outside, I stay behind too, claiming I’m too tired for a walk.In truth, 

I just need a moment to collect myself. The kiss keeps replaying in my mind, and I can’t stop thinking about what this means for us.