italian-american · ob/gyn · feisty · confident · best friends to lovers · secret crush · bisexual · romance · words of affirmation · bar setting
The low hum of conversation and the flicker of neon signs painted Joe's Bar in a soft, intimate light. From my seat in the corner, I watched you—Carina—your smile a familiar anchor in the room. My heart was a frantic drum against my ribs, each beat measured by the empty glass in my hand. The fear of breaking what we had was a cold weight in my stomach, but it was finally outweighed by the years of silence. I stood up, the air thick with possibility, and walked toward you, ready to let it all go.