In the weeks that followed, Jon and Audrey grew closer, drawn together by their travels. Jon thought back to how it all started; a simple invitation, tossed out almost as an afterthought. Now his latest trip was going to be in India.

“This trip is going to be a little like camping,” he’d said, his eyes as bright as his grin. “Think of it as luxury under the stars.”

Audrey had raised an eyebrow but couldn’t deny that she was intrigued. Jon’s plans were always ambitious and sudden, but she’d grown to find his unpredictability exciting. So she agreed, swept up in his latest whim.

The desert was like nothing Audrey had ever seen. They rode on camels as they arrived at a tented camp that was luxurious but set against the raw, open landscape of endless sand dunes and vast skies. For Jon, it was just another adventure, but Audrey was captivated by the stillness and the sense of space around her. Standing out there, surrounded by sand and silence, she felt a kind of peace she hadn’t expected.

They attended several events, watched belly dancers dance, magicians play tricks and even seen a man spit out fire like a dragon.

That first night, she lay under a sky filled with stars, wrapped in blankets that seemed to hold the warmth of the desert. She looked up at the night sky, feeling free and content in a way she’d never had before.

“It’s nice, isn’t it?” Jon asked, lying beside her and staring up at the stars. “They look so different here. So bright and clear.”

She nodded, smiling, though her gaze wasn’t on the stars, her eyes locked on Jon’s face as he looked up.

Back home, Luca was dealing with feelings he couldn’t ignore anymore. He’d been Jon’s best friend and right-hand man for years, but the way Audrey had been making him feel, had started to complicate things. She was genuine and brought out a side in himself he wasn’t used to. It was always refreshing and new being around her. He knew he would get turned down, knew that she was dating Jon, but he decided he needed to tell her, to at least let his feelings be known so as to get some sort of closure.

Once Audrey returned from her trip with Jon, he invited her out to dinner at a restaurant by the beach. Once they finished their dinner, he took her out to the shore and walked alongside the beach waves. As they stood by the shore, he took a deep breath. “Audrey, there’s something I have to say.” he began, his voice quieter than he’d intended. “I feel something for you. I have for a while, but I denied and pushed the feelings down. I didn’t think they were authentic, but I was wrong. What I feel is real.”

Audrey looked at him with a mix of surprise and kindness. “Luca, you’re one of my best friends. Without you, I wouldn’t have met Jon. You’ve been there for us every step of the way,” she replied warmly.

For a moment, Luca’s hope rose. But then she smiled, touched his arm, and added, “I love you, Luca—like family.”

He forced a smile, swallowing his disappointment. He knew this was the likely response, but it somehow still managed to surprise him and it hurt more than he’d like to admit.

Stolen story; please report.

In fact, he would have even been angry at Audrey if she confessed to sharing the same feelings. He wouldn’t have wanted to come between Jon and Audrey, ruining what they had. He just wanted her to know, and now that she did, beneath all the disappointment and hurt, he felt satisfied. He didn’t have to wonder anymore whether Audrey felt any romance toward him. He knew now; she saw him as a brother.

“Yeah. I figured.” Luca responded with a quiet chuckle.

To complicate matters further, Jon’s mother had begun pestering Jon to settle down and marry. He hadn’t told her about Audrey yet; his mother wanted someone of equal status and wealth to be married into the family, and with how much unknown there was about Audrey, he knew she wouldn’t approve of her. Jon’s mother had arranged for Maylene, a woman hand picked for her wealth and status, to spend more time with Jon, hoping to catch his interest. Maylene, however, much to Jon’s pleasure and convenience, found herself more interested in Luca. His quiet loyalty and easygoing nature intrigued her, and she quickly made it her mission to pull him out of his shell.

“Come on, you workaholic,” she’d say, practically dragging him out of his office one afternoon. “You need a break. Let’s grab coffee or something.” She grinned up at him, her eyes bright and mischievous. “Or maybe something stronger.”

He tried to resist her invitations, but before long, her playful charm won him over. With Maylene, he felt lighter, laughing more than he had in years. She pushed him to let loose, and he found himself enjoying the version of himself that came out around her.

Audrey noticed the change too. She saw how Luca seemed more at ease, more relaxed, when Maylene was around. It was a side of him she hadn’t seen before, and it made her happy to see him smile so freely.

One afternoon, Maylene and Audrey went out shopping together and found themselves trying out the massage chairs in a store. Audrey yelped as the machine kneaded her back a little too forcefully, laughing as Maylene showed her how to adjust the settings. The two of them laughed, finding an easy friendship in their shared moments, and Audrey felt grateful to have Maylene around. She sensed that Maylene was good for Luca, bringing out something in him that no one else could.

Eventually, Jon picked up on the growing closeness between Luca and Maylene. One day at the office, Jon made a joking comment that Maylene overheard, and Luca quickly stepped in to defend her, taking the blame for any misunderstanding.

Jon paused, raising an eyebrow. “You like her, don’t you?” he asked, a grin spreading across his face.

Caught off guard, Luca managed a half-smile. “She… yeah, she makes me forget about all my stress,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

Jon chuckled, giving him a knowing look. “About time, Luca. You deserve a break. Maybe we can finally double-date. Imagine, tennis matches, or a weekend trip together. How does that sound?”

Luca rolled his eyes, but the idea warmed him. For once, he was allowing himself to pursue something just for him.

As Jon planned his next adventure—a trip to New Zealand—there was a new dynamic between them all. They were no longer just following Jon’s lead but moving forward as friends, each with their own hopes and dreams. “We’re going to the Glowworm Grotto,” Jon said, barely able to contain his excitement. “Audrey is going to love it. Just picture those caves lit up like a night sky underground.”

Audrey and Luca shared a look, both smiling at Jon’s enthusiasm. They felt the same anticipation, not just for the trip itself, but for the time they would all share together.

In their own ways, they were each on a journey. Jon had his need for adventure; Audrey, her search for peace; Luca, a new love he hadn’t expected; and Maylene, a growing connection that had surprised her as much as it had him. Each of them sensed that there were changes ahead, but for now, they had each other.

And as they packed their bags for New Zealand, they understood that this was just the beginning.