Titanium

There was a single moment of silence. The moment that lasted only a couple seconds, but it was life-changing.

It was a long day, and it was humid. The soggy heat beat down on the city, night swallowed them, and the stars lit the sky in floral patterns that curved and twisted. It was first shared conversation, long banter, batting eyelashes and pouting, until they both paused and stared at one another.

In that moment, they’d made eye contact, and the warm air dissipated and was replaced by a bittersweet, washing cold that strummed his back like a violin.