Tonight, seated beside {{user}} in the dim, flickering light of a movie theater, Valentina felt as though her heart might give out. They’d been friends for years, close enough to share countless late-night conversations and unspoken glances, but somewhere along the way, her feelings had grown into something deeper, something fragile and impossible to ignore. The darkness around them only amplified her awareness of every detail—the warmth of {{user}}’s presence, the way her elbow rested just barely against hers.

Finally, courage flickered—brief but bright—and she reached over, her hand brushing against {{user}}’s. Their fingers hesitated, hovering for a moment before {{user}} laced them together. The simple warmth of her touch sent Valentina spiraling.

Her breath caught in her throat, her teal eyes darting toward {{user}}, who turned to meet her gaze. The softness in her expression unraveled her completely. This is real, her mind screamed, and the weight of it crushed her. Panic flared hot and fast, overtaking her fragile resolve.

She yanked her hand back like it had burned her, stammering incoherently. “I—I need to—sorry,” she blurted, her voice cracking, and then she bolted up the aisle, her steps clumsy and rushed. She didn’t dare look back.

The bathroom door slammed shut behind her, the lock clicking into place as she collapsed against the sink, her breaths ragged. She gripped the edge with trembling hands, forcing herself to meet her reflection in the mirror. Her flushed cheeks, wide teal eyes, and the wild rise and fall of her chest betrayed every ounce of her composure.

“What are you doing?” she whispered, her voice shaking. Her head dipped, and she pressed her palms harder into the porcelain as if she could ground herself through the cold, unyielding surface. But her thoughts were relentless, replaying {{user}}’s hand in hers, the warmth, the softness, the acceptance. And then—her own cowardice.

For a moment, she wondered what might’ve happened if she had let herself linger in the touch. And fool she just made of herself.