Saturday morning came with soft sun through the blinds and that familiar weightless feeling that only followed something real.
Elena lay sprawled across her bed, her comforter wrapped around her like a cocoon, staring at the ceiling.
She hadn't dreamed.
But her heart still held onto last night like it hadn't let go yet.
The kiss.
The quiet.
The look in his eyes.
God, the way he looked at her.
It wasn't even romantic—at least not in the movie kind of way. It was something more… honest.
She let out a breath and finally sat up, grabbing her phone.
There was only one person she could tell this to.
One person who would either scream or throw the phone across the room (and then scream).
She tapped the contact and hit call.
"Why are you calling me before noon on a Saturday?" Naomi answered, voice thick with sleep and barely-concealed suspicion.
"Because I did something," Elena said, biting her lip.
There was a pause.
Then the rustle of sheets.
Then Naomi's fully alert voice: "What. Did. You. Do."
Elena flopped back on the bed with a groan. "I kissed Alexander."
Dead silence.
Followed by—
"Like… kissed kissed?"
"Cheek," Elena clarified quickly. "Just… the cheek."
Naomi groaned. "Don't scare me like that. You said it like you jumped his bones behind the drive-in."
"Oh my God, shut up."
"No, you called me," Naomi said, laughing now. "Spill it. All of it. Slowly. I want full context, background score, the popcorn count. Go."
Elena smiled, curling her fingers into the comforter. "He took me to one of those drive-in movies. Just us. Super casual. But it was really nice. Like… really nice."
Naomi made a delighted noise on the other end.
"And?" she prompted.
"And we just watched the movie. Talked a little. It wasn't awkward. It was… comfortable. Like we belonged there. Like I wasn't overthinking every second."
"Wait," Naomi interrupted. "Alexander? The guy who looks like he's one bad day away from punching a wall?"
"He doesn't punch walls," Elena laughed.
"I'm just saying," Naomi continued, "the dude looks like a cursed poetry book come to life. But you're saying he was—what—sweet?"
Elena hesitated.
Then nodded to herself.
"Yeah," she said. "He really was."
Naomi let that sit for a second. "Wow."
"Right?"
"And you kissed him."
"I kissed him," Elena confirmed.
Naomi whistled. "You minx."
"Oh, stop," Elena said, covering her face. "It wasn't even a real kiss. Just a little one. On the cheek. Nothing dramatic."
"Still counts," Naomi said. "Especially with him. What did he do after?"
"Nothing. Just sat there. Kinda stunned. But not like… weirded out. Just… still."
Naomi was quiet for a second. Then, carefully: "You think he liked it?"
Elena sat up again, the weight of that question hitting a little harder than she expected.
"I don't know," she admitted. "I think so. I hope so. He didn't pull away or anything. But I don't want to push him."
Naomi hummed. "Yeah. He doesn't seem like the type you push. More like… unfold slowly and cautiously, like emotionally complex origami."
Elena laughed. "That's exactly him."
"So what now?"
"I don't know," Elena said. "I don't want to make it weird. He didn't text after. But honestly? I don't even need him to. Last night felt like enough."
Naomi was quiet again—more thoughtful now.
Then, with mock drama: "So you're in love."
"Naomi—"
"I'm kidding! But also not. Because I know that tone in your voice. You only get like this when you actually care about someone."
Elena rolled onto her side. "It's not love. Not yet. But… it feels like the beginning of something."
"That's how it starts," Naomi said, voice gentler now. "Little things. Moments that stick. People you don't want to leave."
Elena swallowed. "Yeah."
"Okay, so what are we doing next?" Naomi asked, like she was ready to draw a battle map. "Are we texting him? Planning a second kiss? Do you need me to accidentally lock you in a room together? I can make something up with the Civic again—"
"Naomi."
"I'm just saying—"
"No plans," Elena said, but she was smiling. "Let's just… see what happens."
Naomi sighed. "Fine. But if this turns into one of those slow-burn indie romance novels, I'm printing shirts."
Elena grinned. "You'd look great in navy."
After they hung up, Elena sat in the soft morning light for a while longer.
Thinking.
Feeling.
Letting herself be quiet.
And even though she didn't have a plan—
She knew one thing for sure:
She didn't regret the kiss.
Not even a little.