Wuthering Waves: I Was Hired by Carlotta Montelli

The morning light was just right, gilding the path at the Breezy Waterside with a warm golden hue.

Un-dried dewdrops still hung from the tips of the grass blades, shimmering in the sunlight.

Phoebe and Ray walked side by side down the narrow dirt path.

The young woman could clearly feel his warmth radiating beside her, which made her steps cautious, as if she were afraid of accidentally crossing some invisible line she kept measuring in her heart.

Several times, small sounds almost escaped her throat.

She wanted to say the weather was beautiful today, wanted to admire the scenery of the Breezy Waterside, wanted to say anything to break the silence.

But each time the words rose to her lips, catching a glimpse of his profile softened by the sunlight, the little courage she had painstakingly gathered would pop like a soap bubble pierced by a needle, disappearing into the air.

The sunlight stretched their side-by-side shadows long across the path.

Phoebe secretly watched the two shadows on the ground, sometimes separate, sometimes briefly overlapping with their footsteps, feeling a subtle, slightly thrilled sense of happiness.

She had walked this path to the Breezy Waterside countless times, but never like today had she wished it could be longer, and longer still.

If only we could hold hands, hehe.

But the next second, as if burned by her own thought, Phoebe gently shook her head, casting aside that little wish.

No, no, she told herself quietly. The fact that Mr. Ray was willing to accompany her like this was already something to be secretly happy about all day. How could she... how could she be greedy for more?

She had tasted the consequences of pushing too far.

Wasn't it because last time she hadn't been able to control the little fawn bumping in her heart that she had recklessly risen on her tiptoes, and then... then fallen into regret?

That feeling she kept chewing on afterward wasn't really regret so much as...

a sweet and clumsy bewilderment.

She just hadn't yet found the right way to settle her overly loud heart.

"Phoebe."

Ray's sudden call made the young woman, lost in her own world, tremble. She hurriedly looked up, the panic she hadn't managed to hide in her eyes now exposed in the sunlight.

"W-What is it, Mr. Ray?"

Ray looked at the still-flustered young woman, a barely noticeable flicker of confusion in his eyes, but he didn't press. He simply asked gently, "Where do Beni and the others usually wait?"

"Oh, that..." Phoebe's thoughts seemed to be gently pulled back to reality. She raised her hand and pointed ahead, her gaze following the winding path as she thought for a moment. "A little further, past that small hill. They usually like to rest under the biggest tree there."

"Then it's not far. Let's go."

"Mm."

Phoebe obediently nodded, trying to appear calm.

But the moment she took a step, her mind still seemed tangled in those scattered thoughts.

Her toe caught on a stone hidden in the path without warning, and her body suddenly lost its balance.

"Ah—!"

A short gasp escaped.

The world spun. Instead of falling forward, she found herself, by force of inertia, hurling uncontrollably straight toward Ray beside her.

The next moment, the noise of the world seemed to come to a sudden halt.

Her cheek crashed solidly into a warm, firm chest, and a light, pleasant scent instantly enveloped her.

She could even clearly feel the warmth beneath the fabric and the steady heartbeat, thudding against her ear through the thin layers of clothing, mingling with her own wildly pounding heart into a chaotic rhythm.

"Phoebe, are you okay?"

The little incident didn't draw Ray's attention; he treated it as a small accident.

"I-I'm fine." She answered almost instinctively.

"If you're okay, let's go."

He spoke and made to move forward. But instead of stepping back, the young woman in his arms clung tighter, as if seeking anchorage.

"Phoebe?" A note of inquiry entered Ray's voice.

"Mm..." The young woman let out a few muffled whimpers, like a coquettish plea or a wordless request. Her arms around him unconsciously tightened, expressing her silent attachment through action.

His scent, his warmth, transmitted clearly through their clothes, almost melting her reason.

All her shyness and apprehension were overwhelmed by a stronger desire in that moment.

Phoebe buried her face in his chest and murmured softly, as if in a dream, "Mr. Ray..."

"Yes?"

"Yes?" He answered patiently.

"Can... can I... I..." Her voice was halting, so faint it almost scattered in the wind.

"What?"

Ray had to lower his head, trying to hear her words.

But she buried her face so deeply that he couldn't see her expression at all, only feeling the slight trembling of her body and the warmth transmitted through the fabric.

A brief silence stretched between them, an invisible string seeming to tighten in the air.

Finally, as if using all her strength, Phoebe raised her voice slightly, but just as the crucial request reached her lips, her courage quickly dwindled, leaving only broken, shy syllables.

"I mean—can... can you... just... hold me..."

The sudden request caught Ray slightly off guard.

The attachment and boldness the young woman showed now were a wonderful contrast to the shy, evasive Phoebe he remembered.

But then he remembered, she was indeed someone who would do such a thing.

The kiss under the moonlight had already proven that.

He didn't speak. Instead, he tightened his arms, responding to her request with a firmer embrace.

Feeling the gradually increasing pressure, Phoebe's body, which had been trembling with tension, slowly relaxed.

The warmth and heartbeat transmitted through the fabric wove a gentle net, securely wrapping around her.

But this peace lasted only a moment.

A new stir, like spring buds breaking through soil, rushed even more powerfully through her chest.

"Mr. Ray."

She murmured softly, her voice carrying a joy and anticipation she herself hadn't noticed.

She still kept her flushed face buried in his chest, unconsciously pursing her lips, savoring the courage brought by this moment of warmth.

"I..."

The young woman took a deep breath. The words that had been circling in her heart for so long finally leaped out on the wings of this courage.

"I like you."