I had f****d up. I just knew I had. I couldn’t explain how exactly—I didn’t have concrete proof or a single defining moment that made it obvious—but somewhere deep inside me, in the part of myself that always seemed to know when I’d messed things up, the truth was loud and clear. I had f****d up.
Why else wouldn’t Cora answer me? It couldn’t be anything else. It had to be because of that kiss. I had kissed her. I had stepped over some invisible line that I should have respected. I had taken things too far. Too fast. Too selfishly.
I should’ve just been there for her. I should’ve held space for her without filling it with my own wants. I should’ve been strong enough to comfort her without complicating things. But instead, I let my feelings get the best of me. I let my need to feel close t
