POV: Hamari

  I was still halfway in my own head.Coach. Headphones. Sienna. Malik. Too many tabs open at once.

  Then-

  That bump.

  Shoulder to shoulder. Warm. Real. One second, nothing. The next, a shift.

  "Yo-my bad," I said, looking down.

  And for two seconds, I didn't breathe.

  She looked up.

  And the noise - the music, the voices, the crowd - all of it blurred.

  Not because it stopped. But because I did.

  She was warm in a way I didn't expect. Soft but grounded.

  Curls framed her face like she carried light with her - natural, alive, like she never had to try.

  Skin golden, like early evening.

  Her lips were full, soft, shaped like they belonged in a close-up - the kind you don't mean to notice but can't unsee once you do.

  Not exaggerated. Just... unforgettable.

  And her body - graceful, feminine, held with quiet confidence - moved like she wasn't trying to impress anyone.

  Just existing right.

  Enough to make me notice. Not too much. Just enough.

  But she didn't pause like she knew me.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Not even a flicker.

  Which made sense - she wasn't supposed to.

  I didn't recognize her either.

  Not really.

  Not then.

  But something about her curly hair, the way it framed her face like it had its own rhythm - it stayed with me.

  And her skin, soft golden-brown, caught just enough light to make me hesitate.

  "You good?" I asked. Voice low. Steady.

  She nodded, brushing her arm, eyes avoiding mine.

  "Yeah. Sorry, I wasn't really... looking."

  Neither was I.

  But now I was.

  There was a pause between us.

  Not long enough to be awkward.

  Just long enough to feel like something should've happened there.

  Then she turned.

  Gone.

  I stood there.

  Didn't follow. Didn't move.

  Just tracked her for a second longer than I needed to.

  She didn't walk like someone who was lost.

  She walked like someone with history.

  Like she didn't want to be seen, but wouldn't apologize if she was.

  Who was she?

  Back to the music. Back to the noise.

  But none of it felt the same.

  I found myself scanning again. Porch. Stairs. Hall.

  Not like I was chasing her.

  Just... noticing.

  But she was gone.

  Did she even say her name?

  Nah.

  But I remembered everything else.

  How her voice was unsure, but not weak.

  How she looked right through me like I was no one - because to her, I was.

  And that's what hit.

  She didn't even know.

  Didn't realize I was the one who invited her.

  Didn't connect it - and neither did I.

  The love app. My middle name. Gabi.

  I wouldn't remember until later.

  I leaned against the patio rail, letting the air cool my face.

  She wasn't supposed to be real.

  Too calm for this room.

  Too grounded to fake it.

  Too beautiful to not knock me a little off center.

  I didn't like how quickly she took space in my head.

  But I knew myself.

  And when my mind got too loud -

  I pushed it down.

  Filed it away.

  Another name I didn't get.

  Another face I won't forget.