Amara’s chest rose and fell like a trapped bird, her skin still burning where Leo’s hands had been only seconds ago. The silence in the room pressed into her bones, heavy and suffocating. She could still taste him on her lips, the faintest memory of his mouth against hers. Every breath she took felt like fire, because he wasn’t touching her anymore. He had pulled away.
And it hurt more than anything else.
Her hands shook on the blanket. She wanted to reach for him again, to hold on to him before he could vanish, but fear and pride chained her to the mattress.
Leo sat at the edge of the bed, shoulders hunched, head bowed slightly like he was strangling something inside himself. His chest was rising and falling fast, each inhale sharp, each exhale ragged.
Finally, he spoke.
“You don’t
