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ALL OF THEIR FRIENDS were still inside the house when walker and ariella stepped outside to talk. ariella didn't say anything as she gestured toward the couch beneath the twinkling sky. walker followed behind ariella, when she sat down on the couch, he hesitated for a moment. but then, without overthinking it, he sat beside her, their shoulders brushing ever so slightly.
for a second, neither of them spoke. they just stared up at the sky, the distant constellations sparkling above them. ariella hugged her knees to her chest, her breath visible in the chilly air, while walker stretched his legs out in front of him, settling back into the couch.
"the sky looks really pretty."walker said after a long silence, his voice soft but thoughtful.
"yeah," ariella agreed, looking up at the stars. "I love the way the sky looks when it's quiet like this. Makes everything feel... still. Like nothing else matters for a while."
walker nodded, staring up at the sky too. he wasn't sure why, but it felt like the right moment to say something that had been weighing on him. "you know, i've always kind of loved nights like this too. "
ariella shifted slightly, resting her head back against the couch. "me too, something about the stars makes you just want to be fully in the moment. without having to act for cameras all the time, you know?"
walker turned to her, a flicker of curiosity in his eyes. "is that how you feel a lot of the time? like you're always putting on an act?"
ariella took a deep breath, her eyes drifting to the side as she thought about how to answer. "yeah, in a way, i guess. i mean, it's not like i'm pretending to be someone i'm not. im still me, its just, you cant be 100% you when you have people looking at you all the time. and i try my hardest to keep my life- my relationships, out of cameras. if you dont, it just goes to flames, and you get burned."
walker looked at her for a second, intrigued about the side of ariella he'd never seen before. "burned?"
ariella hesitated for a moment, then let out a small, almost bitter laugh. "i mean not burned, burned. but you know how it is with celeb relationships. you think you've found someone who gets you. you let your guard down, and suddenly, they're not who you thought they were. or worse—you're not who they thought you were." she glanced over at him, her lips pulling into a sad smile. "ive always been the one who gets left behind, or used."
walker's expression softened, and he could see the weight of her words on her face. she wasn't just talking about ex-boyfriends. she was talking about being let down by people who should've cared about her more. he felt a deep, sudden respect for her. how she'd learned to protect herself, even when it hurt.
"i get that," he said quietly. "i think we all do, in some way. people can be shallow. and they want something from you. something they think they can get, whether it's your attention or your status or something else." he paused, his voice a little rough. "i've had people like that too."
ariella turned to look at him, her gaze soft but questioning. "people who want to be around you because your famous?"
walker laughed bitterly, running a hand through his hair. "mostly. it's like... they see the name, or they see the show, and suddenly im not me. i'm just this thing they can talk about."
ariella didn't say anything at first, just let his words hang in the air. she could feel the honesty behind them—the vulnerability in his tone. she had always known walker had his share of relationship problems, but hearing him speak so openly about it made her feel closer to him in a way she hadn't expected.
"i've always been kind of afraid of that," ariella continued after a beat. "that people would like me for the wrong reasons. that they wouldn't really see me. just the idea of me."
walker nodded, his eyes meeting hers, and there was something there, a connection. one that was unspoken but real. "i know what you mean," he said softly. "but with you... i don't think it's like that. not at all." ariella turned her head slightly, her breath catching in her chest as she looked at him. "no?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
walker shifted a little closer, his hand resting beside hers on the couch. he didn't know what was making him speak so honestly tonight, but he couldn't hold it in anymore. "no. i don't think it's like that with you. i can't explain it, but with you, i feel like you see me." ariella's heart skipped a beat at his words. there was a rawness to his voice, something he wasn't afraid to show her. something that made her want to open up too.
she exhaled slowly, her eyes on the stars again. "i think i feel the same way. it's like..." she paused, searching for the right words. "i don't feel like i have to hide anything around you. it's just... easy."
walker's chest tightened at her words, "yeah," he murmured, his voice low. "i get that. and it's nice. to be just us."
ariella's gaze lingered on him, her breath catching in her throat. "yeah," she repeated, her heart racing. "just us."
for a moment, there was silence again, but it wasn't uncomfortable. they were just two people, sitting together under the stars, sharing a space where they didn't have to pretend. it felt like a quiet promise, one they both knew without speaking.
walker shifted, and without thinking, he stretched out across the couch, lying down with his head on ariella's lap. ariella startled slightly at the unexpected move but then found herself smiling softly. she let her fingers run through his hair, her touch gentle. she could feel the warmth of his body beneath her fingertips, and something about it made her feel safe—like nothing else mattered. like they were both exactly where they were meant to be.
"thanks for tonight," walker said quietly, his eyes closing as he let himself relax in the moment. ariella smiled, her fingers still threading through his hair. "anytime," she whispered back.
and in that moment, under the stars, they both realized that this was something real. something they both wanted to hold onto, no matter what.
⭑°‧꩜ .ᐟ
NIYA SPEAKS !
ok idk if i hate or love this chapter, i might go in and change some stuff after but yk its cool. i just wanted walker ariella to actually move forward in the relationship soo
