I didn’t notice how long I’d been standing at the edge of the living room until Ryan appeared in the doorway, leaning against the frame casually but sharp enough to make me forget how to breathe.
“You’ve been avoiding me,” he said, voice steady, calm, but every word carried weight.
“I’m not avoiding you,” I said quickly, trying to keep my tone casual even though my chest was hammered. “I just”
“You’re lying,” he interrupted, stepping closer, enough to blur the space between us. “I can feel it.”
“You feel a lot of things that aren’t real,” I muttered, looking down, hands fidgeting with the hem of my shirt.
“Not this,” he said, dropping his hand to his side, still careful not to touch me but close enough for the heat in the room to intensify. “This is real, Ella, you know it, and you’re
