Thalia
I knew exactly what I was doing.
There wasn't much point lying to myself anymore.
He stood so close that it was hard to think straight. The space between us felt tight, charged with something neither of us seemed willing to acknowledge. Every breath felt heavier than it should have, and the force of his presence made it impossible to pretend I wasn't affected.
Still, I didn't look away.
I held his gaze even as my pulse kicked harder against my ribs. Every instinct told me to step back, to put some distance between us, but my feet refused to move.
So I stayed exactly where I was.
Just end it, then.
The thought surprised me with how steady it sounded. My heart pounded against my ribs, but all I felt was tired.
Tired of running.
Tired of waiting for the next thing to go wrong
