Amara froze the second she opened her door.
Leo was there.
Sitting on the edge of her bed like he’d been waiting hours, head down, one hand tangled in his hair. The lamp by her window threw a soft amber light on him, making the shadows under his eyes look deeper. His jacket was gone, his sleeves rolled up, like he’d run out of patience halfway through the day.
The silence stretched between them tight and awkward
She shut the door behind her but didn’t move closer. Neither did he.
For a long beat, it was just the sound of her heartbeat and the faint ticking of the clock on her wall.
Just then their mouths moved, they both spoke at once.
“I—”
“Listen—”
They stopped. Looked at each other. The tiniest, tired smile tugged at her mouth.
“You first,” she said softly.
Leo nodded once,
