39 | cute boy

CUTE BOY

🪩

Two days had passed since the moment in the studio when Diana and Malachi had almost kissed.

It had been the kind of moment that branded itself into her memory: his breath warm against her lips, his forehead pressed to hers, the way his eyes had flicked down to her mouth like he was seconds away from claiming her. And the way her own body had betrayed her—her arms tightening around his neck, her heart racing so hard she thought he must've felt it.

But then came the noise outside the studio, and reality snapped back in with awkward laughter and shaky excuses.

Since then, neither of them had spoken about it.

They hadn't even hinted at it.

Instead, everything between them was... normal. Almost suspiciously normal. They still texted. They still hung out. They still teased each other. But that moment — that sharp, breathless almost-kiss — hovered like an invisible line neither of them dared to acknowledge.

Diana told herself it was better this way. She had too much going on with tour rehearsals, with trying to shift into her new "pro-only" role after being eliminated. Malachi had auditions, appearances, his own busy schedule. Bringing up what nearly happened would complicate things.

But still, every time his name lit up her phone, or his laugh carried across a room, or his eyes lingered on her a second too long, she felt the echo of that night in her chest.

Now, it was camera blocking day.

The ballroom was buzzing with energy. Crew members darted around, cameras rolling in test sweeps across the floor. The opening number was always the first to be blocked, and Diana had already spent the last hour running through formations, checking spacing, adjusting timing.

Once that was finished, the focus shifted to the competing couples.

For Diana, that meant free time. She no longer had a celebrity partner to block with, which left her perched on the sidelines, legs crossed, her water bottle beside her as she scrolled idly through her phone. Every so often she looked up, watching as one couple spun across the floor. She noted their timing, the way the overhead camera swept down. Old habits. She couldn't help but analyze.

But mostly, she had time to just... sit.

Her thumb flicked across the screen, mindlessly scrolling, when something in her peripheral made her glance up again.

Malachi.

He was across the ballroom, standing beside his mom. Diana immediately noticed the coffee cups in his hands, and the way he passed one to her with a grin. His mom's face lit up, her smile soft and warm as she accepted it. The sight made Diana's lips curve without even realizing it — she loved watching those small moments of his. The simple ways he cared about the people he loved.

And then his eyes flicked up.

Right across the ballroom, right to her.

The second they met hers, his mouth pulled into a smile — that easy, natural grin that sent warmth spiraling through her chest.

Diana quickly glanced down at her phone, suddenly aware of how obvious she must look. By the time she looked back up, he was saying something else to his mom, her hand resting briefly on his arm in that maternal, affectionate way. And then he was walking toward her.

Her heart did that stupid little skip it always seemed to do lately.

"Hey," Malachi said as he reached her, his tone casual but his eyes soft. He held something in his hand. "Got you this."

Diana blinked, surprised, as he extended a cup toward her. Coffee.

"You did not," she said, a laugh slipping out as she reached for it. The cup was warm in her hands, the smell instantly comforting.

"Yeah, I did," he said with a shrug, like it was no big deal. "Figured you'd be stuck here for a while."

She tilted her head, warmth bubbling in her chest. "Well, thank you. Seriously. You're a lifesaver."

"Of course." His lips quirked into that half-smile, the kind that always made her feel a little unsteady.

She took a sip, the caffeine already promising to wake her up more than the endless scrolling had. "So," he asked, hands shoved casually in his pockets, "when are you done here?"

"They're blocking the tour number last," Diana explained, her eyes flicking back toward the floor where another couple was mid-routine. "So... basically I'm here all day. Glamorous life of a pro without a partner."

He nodded knowingly. "And after that?"

"Sleep, and lots of it," she said with a sigh, though her smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"What about you?" she asked. "How long are you staying?"

"Not long," he said, glancing down briefly before his eyes met hers again. "I've got an audition to get to."

Her brows lifted, curiosity sparking immediately. "An audition? For what?"

He smirked, the kind of smirk that said he'd been waiting for the question. "Can't say."

Diana groaned, tilting her head back dramatically. "Oh, come on. Really?"

"Really." He grinned, his tone playful but firm. "Sorry, top secret."

She narrowed her eyes, sipping from her coffee. "You are the worst."

"Am I, though?" His grin widened. "Because if I end up booking it, you'll be the first person I tell."

Her lips curved despite herself, warmth flooding her chest at the way he said it. The first person.

"I'll hold you to that," she said, pointing at him with her cup.

He laughed, the sound low and easy.

They stayed like that for a while — just talking. About the rehearsal chaos. About how weird it felt for her to watch blocking instead of being in the thick of it. About the tour number and how it was shaping up. About his schedule, her schedule, all the ways their lives seemed to overlap and yet run a hundred miles an hour in opposite directions.

And the whole time, Diana felt that quiet awareness simmering beneath the surface. That invisible line neither of them crossed but both of them remembered.

Finally, after one last joke, Malachi glanced at his phone and sighed. "I should get going. Don't want to be late."

She nodded, though a small pang of disappointment tugged at her. "Good luck," she said softly.

"Thanks." He hesitated for a beat, like he wanted to say more, then simply gave her that crooked smile again. "Enjoy the coffee."

She raised the cup in a mock toast. "Always."

And then he was walking off, disappearing into the hum of the studio, leaving Diana sitting there with her coffee and a heart that wouldn't stop racing.

After he left, her focus was back on the glow of her screen, her thumb flicking mindlessly through TikTok edits, memes, and texts from Aspen she hadn't responded to yet.

She was so wrapped up in her scrolling that the sudden thud of someone plopping down beside her made her glance up.

Dani.

The blonde unscrewed her water bottle, took a long sip, then looked at Diana out of the corner of her eye. A sly smile tugged at her lips as she said, almost casually, "He got you coffee."

Her tone was light, but the way she lifted her brows made it clear who "he" was.

Diana hummed in acknowledgment, a noncommittal little sound as she set her phone down on her lap, staring at the screen but not really seeing it anymore. Her heart gave that now-familiar little jump. Maybe it was the hours of exhaustion talking, or maybe it was because Dani had been her closest friend here in LA, but before she could second-guess herself, the words slipped out.

"We almost kissed," she said.

Dani's sip of water turned into a full-on choke. She coughed, sputtering as she pulled the bottle away, eyes going wide as she whipped her head toward Diana. "WHAT?!"

A couple of dancers glanced over at the outburst, but Dani didn't care. She leaned closer, lowering her voice but still practically shrieking. "What do you mean you two almost kissed?!"

Diana's cheeks heated instantly. "Keep your voice down!" she hissed, glancing nervously toward the floor. Thankfully, no one seemed to be paying attention beyond that first curious glance.

Dani's jaw dropped, still staring at her like she'd just admitted to a crime. "Okay. No. You don't get to drop that and then go all silent on me. Spill. Now."

Diana exhaled, fingers curling into the fabric of her leggings. "Friday, when he came in to get me for lunch..." She hesitated, trying to piece together the words without her stomach tying itself in knots. "I was struggling with one of the lifts Mandy added. I didn't want to bug the guys since they had to get to their rehearsals, so he offered to help me."

Dani blinked. "Malachi offered to help you with a lift?"

"Yes," Diana said firmly, trying to keep her tone neutral. "So we walked through it slowly, and then we tried it full-out. And when I say we were close..." She trailed off, the memory flickering vividly in her mind — his hands on her waist, her arms around his neck, the spin, the dip, and then that stillness when their foreheads touched. Her breath caught just remembering it. "...we were so close to kissing."

For a second Dani just stared at her, mouth opening and closing like she was recalibrating her brain. Finally, she smacked Diana lightly on the arm. "That's crazy!"

Diana gave a helpless laugh, pressing her palms over her face.

"No, like actually insane!" Dani went on, her voice low but emphatic. "You and Malachi almost kissed. In the studio. During a lift. Do you hear yourself right now? This is literally the stuff out of a romance novel."

"Don't remind me," Diana groaned into her hands.

Dani tugged her hands down so she could see her face again, eyes shining with curiosity. "Okay. So what's going on between you two?"

Diana hesitated. That was the question, wasn't it? The one she'd been dodging even in her own head. She twisted her fingers together, eyes dropping to the floor. "I don't know," she admitted softly. "We haven't brought it up since. We've just been... acting like everything's fine. Like it never happened."

Dani tilted her head, studying her. "And you're okay with that?"

"Am I supposed to be?" Diana asked with a nervous laugh. "I mean, maybe it was nothing. Maybe it was just the moment, you know? Heat of the moment, adrenaline, whatever."

Dani gave her a look that was pure disbelief. "Girl. No. You don't almost kiss someone like that unless something is there."

Diana bit her lip, the words echoing in her chest. Something is there.

Dani's voice softened. "Look... I know you like him. So maybe stop waiting around for some perfect moment. Be honest with him. Tell him how you feel. Worst case, he doesn't feel the same, but at least you'll know."

Diana laughed nervously, running a hand through her hair. "Yeah, I'll try."

"You better," Dani said, poking her side. "Because if you don't, I swear I'll lock the two of you in a rehearsal room until you either confess or combust."

That earned a genuine laugh from Diana, the tension easing just a little. "You're impossible."

"And you're in denial," Dani shot back with a smirk, taking another sip of her water.

Diana shook her head, but deep down, she knew Dani wasn't wrong.

The truth was, she didn't know what scared her more — the possibility of telling Malachi how she felt and being rejected, or the possibility that he might feel the same and everything between them would change.

Either way, the near-kiss wasn't something she could keep pretending hadn't happened forever.

daniellakaragach just posted a tiktok !

Daniella Karagach • 11-5i know who the cute boy is 😏 ♥️ @Diana Sinclair                            395k 💬       7,442

🎵 Bed Chem — @Sabrina Carpenter

user WHO

userit has to be grayson user nahh def malachi. they've been hanging out recently

Diana Sinclair dani... Daniella Karagach 😊

Ezra Sosanot fair! i wanna know

userTELL US

userplease be grayson!!

Malachi Bartonoh.     user     WHAT DOES THIS MEAN

🪩

will she tell him?will she not?🤷🏼‍♀️

we are SO CLOSE to the moment!!like it might be posted todayso keep an eye out for chapters 😊