Chapter 3 POV Makidi

The first time it happened, I wasn't expecting it. I never planned for it. I'd always been cautious, measured in my actions-especially around Julianna. She was different from anyone I'd known, a force of nature wrapped in mystery and allure. The way she moved, the way she spoke, everything about her drew me in like gravity, but I never let myself get too close.

It was late that night when she came into my office, the faint glow from the desk lamp casting shadows over her face. Her usual confident stride was replaced by something softer, something uncertain. I could tell she was tired-her eyes, though sharp, had a weariness to them.

"Makidi," she said, her voice low, almost hesitant. "Can we talk?"

I looked up from the papers in front of me, surprised by the vulnerability in her tone. Julianna was never one to ask for anything, let alone show weakness.

"Of course," I replied, motioning for her to sit.

She hesitated, then moved to the chair opposite me. For a moment, there was silence between us. It wasn't uncomfortable, but it was charged, thick with things unsaid.

"I've been thinking a lot," she began, her eyes meeting mine, dark and searching. "About everything. About this life."

I leaned back in my chair, sensing where this might be going. "And what have you decided?"

She ran a hand through her hair, a nervous habit I hadn't seen before. "That I'm tired. Tired of pretending that everything's fine, that I can handle it all on my own. I don't want to do this anymore, Makidi. I don't want to be this... this cold person."

I watched her carefully, the weight of her words sinking in. Julianna had always been the strong one-the one who never let anyone see her cracks. And now, here she was, vulnerable in front of me.

Without thinking, I stood up, closing the distance between us. She looked up at me, her breath catching as I reached for her hand. "You don't have to pretend with me," I said softly, my voice rougher than I intended. "You never have to."

Her eyes flickered to my lips, and in that instant, I knew. She was feeling it too. The pull between us that neither of us had acknowledged until now. I leaned down, slowly, giving her every chance to pull away. But she didn't.

When our lips met, it was like the world stopped. All the barriers I'd put up around myself crumbled in an instant. The kiss was slow at first, tentative, as if we were both testing the waters. But it quickly deepened, an undeniable hunger taking over.

I could taste the mixture of whiskey on her lips and the faint trace of something sweeter, something uniquely her. My hands found their way to her waist, pulling her closer, and I felt the tension between us ignite. I didn't want to think about consequences or what this meant. In that moment, it was just the two of us, caught in the intensity of something neither of us had expected.

She wrapped her arms around me, her body pressed against mine, and I couldn't help but pull her even closer. Her breath hitched as I kissed her again, deeper this time, more urgent. The room seemed to shrink around us as everything outside of this moment faded away.

When we finally pulled apart, our foreheads rested together, both of us gasping for air. I looked at her, my mind racing. This was dangerous. This wasn't just a fleeting desire. This was something else. Something I wasn't prepared for.

But Julianna, with her wild heart and fierce soul, had a way of making me forget everything I thought I knew.

"Makidi," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I'm not... I'm not sure where this goes."

I pulled back slightly, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Neither am I."

She met my gaze, her eyes dark with the same unspoken longing. "But we'll figure it out, won't we?"

I didn't answer right away. Part of me wanted to say no-to tell her we couldn't do this. But another part of me, the part that had been quietly craving her for far too long, knew there was no turning back.

"Yeah," I said, my voice low and steady. "We will."

And in that moment, I knew this was only the beginning.