Atasha's POV
I stood in the middle of the square, the quietness crawling over my skin like a soft drizzle. Luna had just left, and the warmth of our reunion still lingered in my chest, but now… there was something missing. Someone.
Antonio.
I scanned every corner, every path that curved out of the plaza, expecting—no, hoping—to see his tall silhouette appear with that crooked smile of his. My eyes darted across the fountain, to the little bookstore, the lamppost where people leaned when they were waiting for someone.
But he wasn't there.
A strange ache settled into my ribs. I hadn't even realized how badly I wanted him to be near until the space beside me felt too cold, too silent. We had been talking so much lately, reconnecting like long-lost puzzle pieces finding their way back. It felt right. It felt safe. It felt like the beginning of something… again.
And yet, he wasn't here.
I turned in place, slowly, clutching the soft fabric of my cardigan like it might hold me together. "Antonio?" I whispered, barely loud enough for the wind to carry.
No answer.
Had he left? Had something come up? Or was this a part of something bigger—something I couldn't yet understand?
I sighed and sat down on the bench near the fountain, the same one we had once passed laughing about how neither of us could cook properly. My phone stayed silent in my pocket. No messages.
Still, a part of me refused to believe he was truly gone.
"He's not the type to walk away," I murmured to myself.
Or… was I just hoping he'd changed enough not to?
I looked up at the sky, blue and wide, and closed my eyes.
"I hope you show up again," I thought silently. "And if you're hiding somewhere… just know, I was looking for you."