Raka almost said it.
They were walking by the river one evening, after she texted him a simple:
"Want to meet today? I need to get out."
It surprised him. She never initiated. But he didn't ask questions just said yes.
Now they were here. The sky was soft with gold and lilac hues, the breeze brushing past like a memory. They walked slowly, shoulder to shoulder, not touching, not rushing.
"I like this," Nayla said.
"The river?"
"Being outside. With you. No need to reply instantly. No pressure to be interesting."
Raka looked at her. "You don't think you're interesting?"
She shrugged. "People like... noise. I'm not noise."
"You're signal," he said.
She blinked at him.
"You don't waste words. Everything you say has meaning."
She looked away quickly, but he saw the blush rise on her cheeks.
Raka almost said it then.
Almost told her: I like you. A lot. And I think you know that. But I need to know if it's not just me out here hoping.
But the moment passed.
Instead, she asked quietly, "Do I exhaust you?"
"What?"
"I know I'm... hard to read. And I don't reply fast. Sometimes I feel like I frustrate you."
Raka stopped walking. "You don't exhaust me. You slow me down in a good way. You make me think. I feel more real around you."
She looked up at him.
And smiled.
It was soft, small, but full of emotion.
"Okay," she said.
He didn't say I like you.
But she didn't need him to not yet.
She was starting to feel it.
And for the first time, she didn't want to run.