The next few days moved like soft waves—quiet, steady, and full of unspoken feelings. Michelle and Steve hadn't defined anything yet, but the air between them carried something almost electric. They passed each other in the hallways, sometimes exchanging a word, sometimes just a look. And yet, each of those moments felt... charged.
On Friday afternoon, Steve knocked gently on Michelle's door.
She opened it, surprised but smiling. "Hey," she said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
He looked relaxed, his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "Hey. I was thinking... There's this path behind the library. It leads to the old lake. Hardly anyone goes there. You want to walk with me?"
Michelle hesitated only a second before nodding. "I'd love to."
The campus began to quiet down as the sun dipped lower in the sky. Students trickled into dorms, some heading to parties, others to study. But Michelle and Steve turned away from the noise, following a narrow path that wound past trees and old stone benches.
They walked in silence at first, not awkward, just… peaceful. The late sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting golden spots on the ground. Steve pointed out a tree with initials carved into it—"Looks like someone was really dramatic about love"—and Michelle laughed.
"You mean like, 'J + M forever' kind of dramatic?" she teased.
He smirked. "Exactly like that."
They reached the lake just as the light turned soft and pink. The water shimmered. Steve sat on the edge of the wooden dock, legs dangling over the side. Michelle joined him.
"So," he said, looking out over the water, "you said you're from a small town. Do you miss it?"
Michelle looked at her shoes. "Sometimes. It's quiet there. Familiar. But I think I needed to leave it to find out who I actually am."
Steve glanced at her, a gentle expression on his face. "I get that. I moved here to start over, too. To stop being who everyone thought I should be."
There was a pause. She looked at him.
And he was already looking at her.
The moment hung in the air like a held breath.
Then he smiled, not wide or cocky—just soft. "You're kind of amazing, you know that?"
Michelle felt her heart stutter. "You barely know me."
"I know enough to want to," he said quietly.
They sat there until the sky turned to velvet and the first stars appeared. When they finally walked back, their hands brushed once… and then didn't pull away.
That night, Michelle lay in bed with a heart full of warmth and questions. She wasn't sure what they were becoming, or where it was headed.
But she knew one thing with certainty:
She had never felt so seen.