Cesar Diaz leaned against the chain-link fence of the football field, watching the sun dip below the horizon. The sky was painted in soft hues of pink and orange, and the world seemed unusually quiet. He had been here before, too many times to count, waiting for something to happen, waiting for a moment to finally feel like everything made sense. But tonight was different. He wasn't waiting for the streets to pull him back in, or for some crisis to break the fragile peace in his neighborhood. No, tonight he was just waiting for her.
Monse Finnie.
Even after everything they'd been through, every time he saw her, it was like the first time all over again. The world would quiet down, and all the noise, all the danger, all the pain would fade away. When he was with her, life felt simpler, softer, like he could finally take a deep breath and just be. And that was rare—especially for someone like him.
The lyrics from Taylor Swift's "Sweet Nothing" echoed in his mind: "All that you ever wanted from me was sweet nothing..." That's how it was with Monse. She never asked for more than he could give. She never demanded he be someone else or live a life that wasn't his. All she wanted was him—plain, simple Cesar.
"Hey."
Cesar turned around, his heart doing that little flip it always did when he saw her. Monse stood there, her hands stuffed into the pockets of her hoodie, her eyes bright even in the dim light of the evening. She gave him a soft smile, the kind that made his chest tighten and all his worries melt away.
"Hey," he said, pushing off the fence and walking over to her. "You're late."
Monse rolled her eyes, though her smile didn't fade. "You're always early."
Cesar grinned, shaking his head. "I just like being here before you."
She laughed, and the sound was like music to his ears. "Why? So you can make sure you're not the one being stood up?"
He shrugged, his smile widening. "Maybe. Can't be too careful."
Monse shook her head, stepping closer to him. "You're ridiculous, you know that?"
Cesar's heart skipped a beat as he looked down at her. She had that way about her—making him feel both nervous and completely at ease all at once. She didn't have to say much, didn't have to do much, and suddenly everything was right in the world.
"You okay?" she asked, her voice softer now, her eyes searching his face.
Cesar nodded, though he could feel the weight of everything pressing down on him. He always felt like he had to carry the world on his shoulders, especially after everything that had happened with the Santos, with his brother, with his life spiraling out of control. But with Monse, he didn't have to pretend. He could just… breathe.
"Yeah," he said quietly. "I'm good now."
Monse smiled, and for a moment, they just stood there, the silence between them comfortable and warm. She reached out, slipping her hand into his, and Cesar felt that familiar rush of peace that came whenever she was close.
"You wanna get out of here?" she asked, tilting her head toward the street.
Cesar raised an eyebrow. "And go where?"
Monse grinned, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Anywhere. I'm tired of staying in the same place."
Cesar chuckled, shaking his head. "You always want to run away."
She shrugged, her smile softening. "Not run away. Just… get away. With you."
Cesar's chest tightened at her words. He loved that about her—the way she could make everything sound so simple, like it was just them against the world and nothing else mattered.
"All right," he said, squeezing her hand. "Let's get out of here."
They ended up at their usual spot—a quiet stretch of the park where they could sit on the grass and look up at the stars. It was their escape, their little corner of the world where nothing bad could reach them. Cesar sat down first, leaning back on his hands as Monse plopped down beside him, pulling her hoodie tighter around her as the night air grew cooler.
"I've missed this," Monse said after a while, her voice soft as she looked up at the sky. "Just us. No drama, no stress."
Cesar nodded, his gaze fixed on her instead of the stars. "Yeah. Me too."
Monse glanced over at him, her eyes studying his face in that way she always did when she was trying to figure out what he wasn't saying. "You've been quiet lately," she said, her voice gentle. "What's going on?"
Cesar sighed, running a hand through his hair. He hadn't told her everything that had been weighing on him lately—not because he didn't trust her, but because he didn't want to drag her into the mess of his life. She was his safe space, and he didn't want to taint that.
"Just… everything," he said vaguely, though he knew that wouldn't be enough for her.
Monse scooted closer, her hand resting on his arm. "Cesar, you don't have to do that. You don't have to carry all this alone."
He looked at her, his heart aching at the way she always seemed to know what he needed, even when he didn't know himself. "I just… I don't want to drag you into my problems. You deserve better than that."
Monse frowned, shaking her head. "You're not dragging me into anything. I want to be here for you, Cesar. That's what we do. We're in this together, remember?"
Cesar swallowed hard, the weight of her words settling over him like a blanket. She was right. She had always been there for him, even when he didn't think he deserved it. She never asked for more than he could give, and in return, she gave him everything.
"I know," he said quietly, his voice thick with emotion. "It's just… sometimes I don't know how to let people in. Not after everything."
Monse's expression softened, and she reached up, gently cupping his face in her hand. "You don't have to be strong all the time. You don't have to have it all figured out. You can just be Cesar with me. That's enough."
Her words hit him like a tidal wave, and before he knew it, he was pulling her closer, pressing his forehead against hers. "You don't know what you do for me," he whispered, his voice barely audible.
Monse smiled, her hand sliding down to rest on his chest. "I think I do. You do the same for me."
They sat there for a long moment, just holding each other, the world around them fading into the background. Cesar had never felt more at peace, more at home, than he did in that moment. With Monse, everything felt possible, everything felt right.
As the night wore on, they lay back on the grass, staring up at the stars, their hands still intertwined. It was moments like these that Cesar cherished the most—the quiet ones, the ones where they didn't need to say anything, because everything that mattered was already there between them.
"I've been thinking," Monse said after a while, her voice soft in the stillness of the night.
"About what?" Cesar asked, glancing over at her.
"About the future," she said, turning her head to look at him. "About us."
Cesar's heart skipped a beat, and he felt that familiar pang of uncertainty. The future had always been this big, looming thing for him—full of danger, full of unknowns. But with Monse, it didn't feel as scary.
"What about it?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
Monse smiled, her eyes soft. "I don't know. I just… I like thinking about it. About where we'll be, what we'll be doing. As long as you're there, it feels good."
Cesar felt his chest tighten with emotion. He hadn't allowed himself to think too far ahead, not when his life had always been so uncertain. But hearing Monse talk about the future like it was something they could build together, like it was something solid and real—it made him believe it was possible.
"Yeah," he said softly, a small smile tugging at his lips. "As long as you're there, too."
Monse beamed, and for a moment, everything felt perfect. The world outside, with all its chaos and uncertainty, didn't matter. Not when they had this—each other, and the quiet understanding that they were in this together, no matter what.
And for Cesar, that was more than enough.
As they walked home later that night, hand in hand, Cesar couldn't help but feel a sense of peace he hadn't felt in a long time. The streets were quiet, the night air cool against his skin, and for once, he wasn't looking over his shoulder, waiting for something to go wrong.
Monse squeezed his hand, glancing up at him with that soft, knowing smile of hers. "You okay?"
Cesar nodded, pulling her closer. "Yeah. I'm good."
And for the first time in a long time, he really meant it. With Monse by his side, he felt like he could face anything. The future didn't seem so scary anymore, not when he knew they would face it together.
Because at the end of the day, all he needed—all they needed—was each other. And that was enough.
It was simple. It was sweet.
It was everything.
