Elena reached out, her fingers tracing the line of his hand. “Love isn’t a cage, Andrei. It’s the door being wide open and choosing to stay anyway. That song... it says jealousy is part of the package, but it shouldn’t be the whole gift.”
Among the crowd stood Andrei and Elena. They had been inseparable since childhood, but tonight, a shadow loomed between them. Andrei had spent the evening watching Elena dance, his heart tightening every time a stranger caught her eye or offered a hand. Elena reached out, her fingers tracing the line of his hand
“You’re doing it again,” Elena whispered, pulling him aside into the quiet of an arched stone walkway. “Doing what?” Andrei replied, though his jaw was tight. That song
Under the amber glow of the festival lights, they moved together—not out of obligation or possession, but because the music was too beautiful to stand still. Andrei had spent the evening watching Elena dance,