Urban System in America-Chapter 387 - 386: Moon’s Overrated

"You sound... busy," she said, voice careful. "If you’ve got something to do, I can call you later."

It was light, polite, perfectly reasonable... the kind of thing people say when they don’t want to sound like they care too much.

But inside, a small ripple of grievance moved through her chest.

Not the dramatic, stormy kind... just a quiet ache.

She’d had a long day... shooting till late, endless retakes, makeup lights burning her eyes. The kind of day that drains you from the inside out.

And the only reason she’d even called him tonight was because she felt that hearing his voice would make things feel... easier. Just like a vulnerable girl, who wanted to spend the time with her man, after their first time.

Even though it was all an accident, now that it had happened, they couldn’t just deny it. And she didn’t want anything grand. Not promises, not declarations... just a bit of warmth.

Some softness.

Something to remind her that she was still human beneath all the cameras and perfection.

But right now, it felt like he wasn’t even listening.

She shifted slightly, wrapping the blanket tighter around her, eyes shimmering with grievance.

Her eyes wandered to the glass window, where the reflection of city lights shimmered like a thousand little distractions.

Why did it bother her so much?

It wasn’t like they were together. Not really.

What they had didn’t have a name... no label, no rules.

Last night had been... a mess of emotions, instinct, timing.

A storm that had swept through both of them, leaving behind confusion and quiet tenderness in its wake.

Maybe that was why it hurt a little now.

Because despite all that closeness, all that intensity, he still sounded distant.

Her lips pressed together in a faint line.

She hated feeling needy.

That wasn’t her... she’d always been composed, self-assured, the kind of woman who made others chase, not the other way around.

And yet here she was, waiting for a man’s full attention through a phone.

Pathetic, right?

She let out a quiet exhale and forced a small laugh, masking the flicker of disappointment before it could color her voice.

"It’s fine," she said. "You sound like you’re doing something. Go ahead... I’ll talk to you later."

Rex, oblivious to the quiet tremor beneath her calm, smiled faintly on his end.

"Who, me? Nah, I’m just..." He paused, smirk curling his lips. "Actually, look out your window for a sec."

She blinked, thrown off. "What?"

"Go on," he said, tone casual but with that hint of mischief that always spelled trouble.

She frowned. "What’s out my window?"

"Just look," he said.

He grinned, looking up at the tall hotel windows.

Her brows furrowed. "Rex, if this is about the moon, I swear—"

"Maybe it is."

She rolled her eyes. "You’re unbelievable."

Still, despite her tone, she got up from the bed.

Half-annoyed, half-curious.

There was a pause — the sound of bedsheets rustling, her soft footsteps on carpet.

She mumbled, "You’re really acting weird..."

"What am I even looking for," she muttered under her breath.

Probably some corny line about starlight or fate or—

Barefoot, hair loose, she walked to the window, still holding her phone... and when she drew back the curtain, she froze.

Down below, under the silver-blue glow, stood Rex... leaning on his car, one hand with a phone to his ear, the other waving lazily.

And that smile... calm, teasing, faintly amused ... like he knew exactly what effect this would have.

The moon hung high above the building, pale and soft, like the world had dimmed everything else for this exact moment. The moonlight kissed his hair, outlining him in that too-perfect way that made him look more unreal than real.

The night wind played with his hair... it was the kind of scene that would make people wonder if he had a personal wind machine following him, the world around him blurred and glowing.

The car gleamed red under the moonlight.

It didn’t look real... more like a scene straight out of a movie she hadn’t realized she’d been starring in.

Her lips parted slightly, her heart doing that dangerous little jump.

For one long second, she just stared.

The entire city seemed to go quiet.

Everything stilled ... the noise of the city, her thoughts, even her pulse.

It felt like time had just... stopped.

And for a second, all she saw was him.

He looked up just then, eyes finding hers like he’d known exactly where to look.

That lazy grin curved into a smirk, and he gave a small wave.

"Hey," he said into the phone, his voice carrying through both speaker and the night air.

Her mouth fell slightly open, a small, breathless laugh escaping before she could stop it.

She blinked once — twice — as if expecting him to vanish if she looked away.

This idiot.

This absolute idiot.

And yet her heart refused to behave.

It raced, beating too fast, too warm, flooding her chest with that dizzying mix of shock, disbelief, and something dangerously close to joy.

The scene felt straight out of a movie she’d never auditioned for ... a fairy-tale flipped modern, the prince ditching his white horse for a blood-red Ferrari.

And she? The skeptical, overworked actress suddenly caught playing the role of the princess.

The irony would’ve made her laugh if she wasn’t already halfway lost in the moment.

Her fingers brushed the glass as she leaned closer to the window, half wanting to shout at him, half wanting to smile until her face hurt.

Rex tilted his head slightly, the glow of the car lights outlining him like a portrait.

"Moon’s overrated," he said with a grin. "View’s better down here."

And then —

It finally hit her.

And all at once.

The late-night call.

The teasing tone.

The ridiculousness of it all.

And him... that stupid, bright, beautiful smile.

The smile hit her like a spark thrown into dry grass, and suddenly everything inside her went up in flames.

(End of Chapter)