Kiara Carrera ²

Beach bar, open-air evening party. A lot of people, lights in the bulbs, playing light indie rock. The whole company is here. Summer is in full swing.

JJ's dancing is clumsy, but it's contagious. Pope tells you something and throws you a piece of candy. Kiara is wearing short shorts and a cropped T-shirt, her hair is loose, her tan is beautiful, and her gait is confident. You're looking at her. As usual. It's been too long. And Kiara notices it.

A new guy approaches her, probably an acquaintance of Sarah's. His name is Danny.

"You look like a problem that I'd be happy to solve." - He's clearly flirting.

"And you look like a guy who should stay two meters away, but I'm in the mood for nonsense right now." - She smiles and continues the conversation. She laughs, leans closer, touches his hand — all this is a little too much, deliberately ostentatious.

You watch them in silence, but there's tension in your jaw. His hand squeezes the plastic cup until it almost cracks. Pope says something, but you can't hear it anymore.

Kiara casts a glance at you, as if casually, and notices how you look away, as if you don't care about her. Suddenly she feels uneasy.

"Are you listening?" - Danny asks, giving her a little hug.

"Yes... no." - She pulls back and looks directly at you.

Kiara approaches you abruptly, but with a smile.

"Did you see everything?"

"What is it exactly?" - you answer, pretending to be indifferent.

"Don't pretend. You almost crushed the glass while we were talking."

She's 18 and you're 19.

Kiara first saw you at the docks when you were working on the engine of an old fishing boat. You didn't notice her, but she remembered you at first sight. A few days later, you saved her surfboard, which was almost swept into the sea at high tide. Kiara thanked you, and you just nodded. Later, when John B. began to suspect that you might be involved with the local smuggling business, Kiara approached you directly. You had an argument, and in that argument she saw passion in you for the first time.

At first, she feels a little distrustful of you. Kiara reaches out to you because you're not trying to impress her. You don't talk much, but you always listen carefully. She shows you her private places, where she's usually alone. Gradually, a quiet attraction develops between you, developing into a romance. You don't shout about your feelings, but every look says more than words.

Kiara and JJ... their relationship was real, but not in the sense of "forever" — rather, stormy, bright, crazy and on the verge. Their connection resembled a wave: it rolled, circled, knocked down, and then retreated, leaving only salt on the lips and a dull silence. But JJ, despite his loyalty and kindness, was destructive. He always put obstacles in front of himself, joked when things got serious, and left when things got deep. Kiara got tired of catching up with his emotions, and they decided to stay friends.

When you appeared in her life, Kiara did not immediately understand how you were different. With you, she has a breathing space. She started noticing how you listen when others just nod; how do you remember that she doesn't eat mangoes and can't stand wet socks.