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CHAPTERFOUR
Nova
The sand iswarm beneath my feet, each step sinking slightly as I walk alongside Blaze. Waves crash gently onto the shore, their foamy white edges leaving a delicate lacework on the sun-kissed sand. Seagulls caw overhead, soaring gracefully in the salty breeze. It's a picture-perfect scene, but the tension in the air is almost tangible.
"Beautiful day, isn't it?" I say, trying to lighten the mood. Blaze nods but remains silent. I can practically see the gears turning in his head, and it's clear there's something he wants to get off his chest.
"Hey, what's up? You've been quiet all day," I prod gently, reaching out to touch his arm. His muscles tense under my fingertips, and he looks at me with a mixture of longing and conflict in his stormy blue eyes.
"Nova... there's something I need to tell you." He hesitates, staring down at the sand, and I can feel my heart start to race. I've never seen him this vulnerable before. The man standing beside me is not the confident, witty gamer I know.
"Blaze, you can tell me anything. You know that, right?" I urge, my voice soft and sincere. I want to understand what's going on inside his head, to help him through whatever struggle he's facing. He's already helped me so much more than he even knows.
He takes a deep breath, and for a moment, I worry that he might be about to confess some terrible secret that will change everything between us. But as he opens his mouth to speak, he stops himself, and I can see the internal debate raging behind his eyes.
"Fuck, this is hard," he mutters, running a hand through his tousled hair. "I don't want to creep you out or mess things up between us, but I've got to be honest with you."
I just swallow, suddenly nervous.
"Nova, do you remember the first time we talked?" Blaze asks, his voice barely audible over the crashing waves. The tension in the air is palpable, and I can practically feel the weight of his words as they hang between us.
"When you responded to my post a few weeks ago?" I ask in confusion.
"N-not exactly," he stammers, clearly struggling with the magnitude of his revelation. "It was years ago. You were at your brother's place, and you'd had a few too many drinks."
A flush of heat crawls up my cheeks as I struggle to piece together the fragments of the night in question. "I don't remember what you're talking about," I confess.
Blaze glances at the sand before he takes my head and looks back at me, "You grabbed the headset from your brother and giggled in my ear. You told me if I was there, you would suck my cock."
My face flames. "Oh god," I mumble, covering my face with my hands in mortification. "I was so drunk that night. I can't believe I said those things to you."
"Hey, it's okay," Blaze reassures me, his voice gentle yet firm. "You didn't know who I was, and I knew you were just letting loose. But, Nova, that night...it changed everything for me."
I peek through my fingers at him, feeling vulnerable and exposed. "What do you mean?" I whisper, my heart pounding in my chest.
Blaze hesitates, his eyes searching mine for understanding. "Hearing your voice, even though you were drunk and saying crazy shit...it just struck a chord within me. I don't know how to explain it, but I felt this connection to you that I couldn't ignore. And every time you visited Dylan and I heard your voice through the headset, that connection just grew stronger."
I lower my hands, my embarrassment replaced with a sense of wonder. "Really?" I ask, my voice barely audible over the soft roar of the ocean.
"Yeah," he admits, running a hand through his dark hair, clearly nervous about baring his soul like this. "I tried to fight it for so long, Nova. Telling myself it was just an infatuation, that it wasn't real. But the more I got to know you, the more I realized that it wasn't just lust or obsession. It was something deeper."
"Blaze..." I breathe out, unsure of how to process this intense revelation. My own emotions churn within me, a whirlwind of confusion, relief, and a growing seed of desire.
"Nova, I need you to understand that I never meant to hurt you or make you uncomfortable," Blaze continues, his eyes pleading with me to believe him. "I just...I couldn't help myself. You became this light in my life that I couldn't escape from, no matter how hard I tried."
As I listen to his confession, I can't help but feel my own walls crumbling down. All this time, I've been struggling with my own loneliness, feeling isolated despite the online persona I've created for myself. But here, on this beach, with Blaze baring his soul to me, I finally feel seen.Understood.
The waves crash against the shore, creating a soothing soundtrack for our conversation. Blaze's hand is warm and reassuring as he gently squeezes mine.
His eyes are intense, capturing mine as he speaks. I can see the sincerity behind his words and feel the depth of the connection he felt. It's at this moment that Blaze's vulnerability seems to mirror my own.
"Blaze, I..." The words catch in my throat, but the trust I place in him pushes me to reveal my true feelings. "Sometimes, I feel so alone. Despite all the followers and likes on social media, there's an emptiness inside me that I just can't seem to fill."
My hands tremble slightly as I share my deepest emotions with him. Blaze pulls me close, his strong arms wrapping around me. His embrace feels like home, as though this is where I truly belong.
"Nova, I understand that feeling more than you know. I've struggled with loneliness too. But with you, I don't feel that way anymore." His words are laced with emotion, and I can't help but feel the warmth they bring to my heart.
"Thank you, Blaze," I whisper, laying my head on his chest and listening to the rhythm of his heartbeat. As we stand there, wrapped in each other's arms, I realize that maybe we're both searching for something to fill the void within us—and perhaps we've found it in one another.
