KAEL
It was like my brain short-circuited.
I leaned in. I don’t even know why I did it, but the moment her face tilted up, and the light caught her lips just so, something in me snapped.
I just leaned in without a single thought in my head, without breathing, without considering the shatters I was leaving behind when I did.
But then she pulled away, fast, like I was dirty water. My pride just hit the ground.
“s**t—” I muttered, stepping back instantly, my heart ricocheting against my ribs. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”
My voice trailed, words dying on my tongue while the light in her eyes died. She stared at me without uttering a word, her eyes saying things she couldn’t open her lips to utter.
And I got it, loud and clear.
A small, sad smile formed on her lips, like she was trying
