Carol and Murilo went off holding hands one way, while Diego and I headed in the opposite direction, toward the pier. The street was buzzing. People laughing, bumping into each other, loud music blasting from every direction. Outside every bar we passed, there were packs of young people drinking, having a good time, cracking up and talking shit.
We walked side by side, and I tried to play it cool, but my heart was racing. Every so often our arms brushed, and a sweet little shiver ran over my skin. The ocean breeze kissed my face, cool and salty… but inside me, a different kind of heat was building, soft and steady. A good kind of heat. A mix of nerves and want.
When we reached the boardwalk, I spotted a popcorn cart. My eyes lit up right away—of course I wanted some. I said it all excited, like a kid:
“Popcorn! Oh my God, I want some!”
Diego laughed and walked over with me. I placed my usual order:
“Mixed, okay? Salty on the bottom, sweet on top. And go heavy on the condensed milk, please.”
He gave me this amused, kinda curious look and said,
“You really love that sweet, creamy milk, don’t you, Rafa?” He was clearly trying to mess with me.
“Of course, Diego. It’s delicious!” I swear I answered totally innocent.
Diego turned to the popcorn guy and said, with that superior little smirk of his,
“Mine’s the classic. All salty. No fancy shit.”
I rolled my eyes, laughing on the inside. Typical.
We grabbed our popcorn and started walking slowly down the pier. There were plenty of people around—some heading out, others coming back, couples leaning against the railing. The sea breeze brushed my face, the sound of the waves below was almost a whisper, and the lights reflecting on the water gave everything this kinda magical glow.
I don’t know if it was the caipivodka, the full moon, or just Diego walking next to me… but that moment felt like a movie scene. The kind you watch and sigh at, thinking, “Why can’t my life be like that?” Well, that night, for a few seconds, it kinda was.
We reached the end of the pier and stopped at the railing, looking out at the ocean in silence. He grabbed a handful of my popcorn and made a face.
“Okay, I’ll admit it. This shit’s actually good.”
“I told you,” I said, laughing, and gave him a little playful shove on the arm.
We laughed. And for a second, it felt like nothing else existed.
All I could think about was how different he seemed that night. The usual Diego—cocky, sarcastic, full of himself—felt lighter, more present. Right there, sharing sweet popcorn with me and complimenting the view, he almost seemed romantic. And the way he was looking at me… God. It was this long, hot stare that made my stomach flip and my heart squeeze in this good, dangerous way.
The breeze drifted softly between us, the ocean sparkled below with the lights from the boardwalk, and for a few moments the world just faded away. I wanted him to pull me in so bad, to close that little bit of space still between us. I wanted to feel his mouth on mine, to find out if all this tension was just in my head or if he was feeling it too.
But then reality hit like a bucket of cold water: he had a girlfriend. And from what I knew, he actually liked her. I’d never seen Diego hit on anyone, barely even glanced at women walking by on the street—at least not in front of me. No matter how much Carol kept insisting he was a player who cheated on his girlfriend like crazy, that night he was coming off way too loyal… loyal to the point it was kinda disappointing.
Unfortunately, Carol was wrong.