Romance Novel: The Trace of a Feeling

Chapter 10 – The Trace That Stays

Days passed after that night by the river. Something between Adrian and Aruna had shifted — not with sudden clarity, but with a quiet unfolding. She no longer kept him entirely at a distance. She still carried hesitation, yes, but she allowed herself to linger in his presence a little longer, to listen more, to smile with less restraint.

Adrian felt it in small gestures: the way her hand lingered in his when they said goodbye, the way her eyes softened when he caught her looking at him, the way her laughter returned, fuller, warmer. It wasn’t perfect, but it was real.

One evening, they found themselves once again at Lentera Senja, the café where it all began. Rain tapped gently on the windows, a steady rhythm that seemed to weave itself into their story. They sat at their usual table by the window, sharing the silence that had once been awkward but now felt like home.

Aruna stirred her tea, her gaze lost in the swirl. “You know,” she began softly, “I never thought I’d be here again. Not just in this café, but here — sitting with someone, feeling…” She trailed off, searching for the word. “…hopeful.”

Adrian watched her, his heart tightening. “And now?”

She lifted her eyes to his, and for the first time there was no hesitation in them. Only honesty.

“Now I’m terrified,” she admitted. Then, with a small, trembling smile, she added, “But I don’t want fear to be the only thing I listen to anymore.”

Her words hung in the air, fragile but powerful. Adrian leaned forward, his voice steady, gentle. “Aruna, I don’t need you to be unafraid. I just need you to be with me. We can carry the fear together.”

She breathed out a shaky laugh, her eyes glistening. “You make it sound so simple.”

“Love is simple,” he said. “It’s we who make it complicated.”

Silence stretched between them, filled with the weight of choice. Then Aruna reached across the table, her hand trembling slightly as she placed it over his.

“I can’t promise you forever,” she whispered. “But I can promise you today. And maybe tomorrow. And maybe the day after that. As long as I can, I’ll try.”

Adrian’s chest swelled, his hand tightening around hers. “That’s all I’ll ever ask.”

The café door opened briefly, the sound of rain rushing in with the chime of the bell. But neither of them looked away. For the first time, they weren’t strangers clinging to chance. They were two hearts, scarred yet willing, choosing to stay.

Aruna smiled through her tears, her voice soft but certain. “Maybe this time, the trace doesn’t have to fade. Maybe this time, it can stay.”

Adrian’s lips curved into the smile he had been holding back for weeks. He reached across the table, brushing his thumb against her hand. “Then let’s make it stay.”

Outside, the rain continued to fall. But inside, at that small table by the window, something new began — not the absence of fear, but the presence of love stronger than it.

The trace of a feeling had finally found its place.