Chapter 11: Starlight and Secrets: A Missed Confession and Hidden Longings

Gio's chuckle broke the tension, a warm ripple in the air. "Okay, okay, you don't have to tell me the difference," he said, raising his hands in mock surrender.

Abbegale's lips curved into a playful smile. "You'll know soon enough," she teased, then abruptly changed the subject. The conversation flowed around them, a meandering stream of music and laughter, yet Abbegale couldn't help but steal glances at Gio.

His features, under the soft glow of the stage lights, were almost perfect. His hazel eyes, flecked with gold, held a depth that threatened to pull her in, a whirlpool of unspoken emotions. Yet, she knew the danger of getting lost in those eyes, their gaze a forbidden secret whispered in the dimly lit bar.

As if sensing her scrutiny, Gio's head turned, finding hers across the room. Their eyes met, locked in a silent conversation for what felt like the millionth time that night. His gaze, warm and intense, took her breath away.

"I like you," she blurted out, the words escaping before she could clamp down on them.

Gio froze, his eyes widening in surprise. Abbegale, suddenly sobered by her own boldness, felt her face flush scarlet. "Your eyes… they are very beautiful," she stammered, trying to salvage the situation.

Gio held her gaze, a slow smile playing on his lips. "Thanks," he replied simply.

The simple word echoed in the silence, thrumming in her heart like a bass line. She almost, almost said it again, the confession burning on the tip of her tongue. But the fear, sharp and insistent, held her back.

Was it the age difference? the age barrier loomed, a specter casting a long shadow on their budding connection. She was sixteen, while Gio would turn eighteen in a few months. Would age difference become a chasm they couldn't cross? Two years, a small gap in reality, loomed like a chasm in Abbegale's mind. Would confessing now push him away, turn him into a distant memory before their story even unfolded?

The laughter of the others shattered the fragile moment. Abbegale, masking her turmoil with a nervous giggle, said, "Sorry, I almost made you misunderstand. I hope you're not uncomfortable."

Her heart, however, sang a different song. It echoed with the painful desire to scream "I like you," the words a caged bird desperate for freedom.

Taking a deep breath, Abbegale forced a smile. This dance of unspoken feelings, this inconvenient yearning, was an unexpected twist in their story. But she couldn't deny the hunger for more, the desire to see him as something more than just a friend.

Maybe, she thought, it was fate whispering in the shadows. Maybe, after two years – two eternities in the impatient heart of a teenager – he'd still be there, unclaimed by another. If so, then maybe, just maybe, she'd have the courage to truly, unabashedly say, "I like you," and let the chips fall where they may.

Yet, the present pressed its demands. "I'll excuse myself to the bathroom for a bit," she announced, the weight of unsaid words heavy in her chest.

As she rose to leave, Gio reached out, his fingers brushing against hers. "You seem a little shaken," he said, his voice laced with concern. "Are you okay?"

Abbegale managed a smile. "Just tired," she replied, her voice a whisper against the din of the bar.

Gio offered a smile of his own, then said, "Come, I'll wait for you outside."

She opened her mouth to refuse, but the words died in her throat. "Okay," she finally said, the word laced with a silent "thank you."

Together, they stepped out into the cool night air, the weight of their conversation hanging heavy between them. As they walked towards the dimly lit bathrooms, Gio asked, "Do you know where it is?"

Abbegale pointed down the hallway. "It's around the corner. I'll be quick."

He waited patiently as she disappeared into the bathroom, the silence stretching uncomfortably. When she emerged moments later, her face washed and resolute, he said, "Finished?"

"Yeah," she replied, stepping back into the cool night air.

Suddenly, an unexpected desire gripped her. "I don't want to go in yet," she confessed. "Can we stroll around the place a little?"

Gio's eyebrows shot up, surprise flickering in his eyes. "Whatever you want to do, Abbegale," he said, his voice low and warm.

The way he spoke her name sent shivers down her spine. "Whatever I want to do?" she repeated, testing the words. "Are you sure?"

 Gio looked at her and nodded 

Abbegale knew, with a painful certainty, that her wishes, her desires, went far beyond the boundaries of friendship. But for now, she would keep them locked away, a secret whispered only to the starlight and the moon.

As they walked, the night air laced with unspoken words, Abbegale realized her crush was more than just a passing fancy. It was a wildfire, crackling and burning within her, a force she could only hope to control until the right time came.

And so, she continued to laugh with Gio, to bask in the warmth of his presence, her heart a bittersweet symphony of unfulfilled desires and hidden hopes. The night was young, the future a mystery, and Abbegale, with a sigh, surrendered to the melody of a love story waiting to be written, one chapter at a time.