Whispers that don't fade
1307 Words
It started quietly.
Too quietly.
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At first—
It was just a glance.
A pause in conversation.
A shift in tone when I walked past.
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Nothing obvious.
Nothing direct.
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But I felt it.
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The difference.
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By mid-morning—
It was no longer subtle.
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“…I’m just saying, it’s strange.”
“I heard she’s been getting special attention.”
“From who?”
“You know who.”
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I stopped walking.
Just for a second.
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Then continued.
Like I hadn’t heard anything.
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Because reacting—
Would only make it worse.
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But inside—
Something tightened.
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Rumors.
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They spread faster than truth.
And they lasted longer.
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By the time I reached my desk—
Two people stopped talking.
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Immediately.
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I almost smiled.
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Almost.
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Because now—
There was no doubt.
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This wasn’t random.
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This was intentional.
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“Lara.”
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I looked up.
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Victoria.
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Perfect as always.
Composed.
Untouchable.
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But her eyes—
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They held something else now.
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Interest.
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“Come with me,” she said smoothly.
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Not a request.
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An instruction.
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Her office was quiet.
Controlled.
Cold.
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Just like her.
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“Close the door.”
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I did.
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Slowly.
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Because I already knew—
This wasn’t going to be simple.
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She turned to face me.
Arms crossed lightly.
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“You’ve been attracting attention.”
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Not angry.
Not accusing.
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Observing.
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“I’ve been doing my job.”
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A faint smile.
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“Yes. That’s one way to describe it.”
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Silence stretched.
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Then—
She walked closer.
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Measured.
Calculated.
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“You’re improving quickly,” she said.
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“I intend to.”
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“I can see that.”
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Another pause.
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“But growth can be… dangerous.”
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I held her gaze.
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“I’ll take that risk.”
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Something flickered in her eyes.
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Amusement.
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“You’re confident.”
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“I’m learning.”
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That again.
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That shift.
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She noticed it.
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Of course she did.
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“Good,” she said softly.
“Then let’s see how well you’ve learned.”
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My stomach tightened slightly.
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Because there it was.
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The test.
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“There’s a client meeting this afternoon,” she continued.
“High-level. Important.”
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I stayed silent.
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“I want you to handle it.”
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That—
That was unexpected.
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“And if I don’t?” I asked calmly.
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Her smile deepened just slightly.
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“Then you confirm what everyone already believes.”
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A trap.
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Perfectly placed.
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“I’ll do it,” I said.
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Of course I would.
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Failure wasn’t an option.
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Not anymore.
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“Good,” she replied.
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Then—
Almost casually—
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“Don’t disappoint me.”
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The meeting room felt heavier than before.
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Different faces.
More important.
More judgmental.
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And I knew—
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They were already expecting me to fail.
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“Let’s begin.”
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I stood.
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No hesitation.
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No fear.
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Because I refused to give them what they wanted.
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Minutes passed.
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Questions came.
Sharp.
Testing.
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And I answered.
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One by one.
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Calm.
Clear.
Controlled.
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Until—
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“You seem very confident for someone in your position.”
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A man leaned back in his chair.
Studying me.
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“I’m confident in my work,” I replied.
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A pause.
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Then—
A nod.
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“Good answer.”
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And just like that—
The atmosphere shifted.
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Respect.
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Not fully.
But enough.
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When it ended—
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I knew.
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I had passed.
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But the moment I stepped outside—
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Everything changed again.
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“Impressive.”
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I turned.
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Daniel.
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Leaning casually against the wall.
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“You’re becoming dangerous,” he added.
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“Is that a compliment?”
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“It is.”
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A small smile.
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“You handled that well.”
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“Thank you.”
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A pause.
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Then—
“Dinner tonight.”
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Direct.
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Confident.
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Before I could respond—
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“Not happening.”
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That voice again.
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Sharp.
Controlled.
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Ethan.
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Daniel chuckled slightly.
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“You always show up at the right moment.”
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“I make it a habit.”
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“I noticed.”
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The tension—
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It wasn’t hidden anymore.
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“I’ll decide,” I said quietly.
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Both of them looked at me again.
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And for a second—
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Everything stilled.
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“I’ll let you know,” I repeated.
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Daniel smiled.
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“I’ll be waiting.”
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And then he walked away.
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The silence that followed—
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Was heavier than before.
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“You’re enjoying this.”
Ethan’s voice was low.
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“I’m doing my job.”
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“By encouraging him?”
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“I didn’t encourage anything.”
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“You didn’t stop it.”
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I stepped closer.
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“Why does it matter?”
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That—
That question landed.
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Hard.
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Because this time—
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He didn’t answer immediately.
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“You’re crossing lines,” he said finally.
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“No,” I replied softly.
“I’m standing on equal ground.”
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Something changed in his expression.
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Not anger.
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Something deeper.
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Something more dangerous.
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“Be careful,” he said.
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“You said that before.”
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“And I meant it.”
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“So do I.”
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Silence.
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But this time—
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It broke differently.
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“Tonight,” he said.
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My breath caught slightly.
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“Same place.”
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That wasn’t a request.
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And somehow—
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That made it harder to refuse.
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Later—
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The city lights blurred outside the window.
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The world moved on.
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Unaware.
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Unbothered.
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But inside—
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Everything felt sharper.
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More real.
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“You were harsh today.”
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His voice was quieter now.
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Different.
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“You were worse,” I replied.
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“I had to be.”
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“So did I.”
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A pause.
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Then—
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“This isn’t easy.”
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“No one said it would be.”
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Silence.
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But not empty.
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“You could’ve said yes to him.”
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I looked at him.
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“I could have.”
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Another pause.
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“But I didn’t.”
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That—
That mattered.
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More than I wanted it to.
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“Why?” he asked.
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I held his gaze.
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Steady.
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“Do you really need me to answer that?”
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Something shifted.
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Closer.
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Again.
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Always like this.
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“This is getting dangerous,” I whispered.
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“It already is.”
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And yet—
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Neither of us moved away.
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Because the truth was—
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We had already crossed the line.
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And there was no going back.
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Somewhere—
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Far from this moment—
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The whispers were growing louder.
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Stronger.
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More certain.
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And this time—
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They weren’t going to stay whispers for long.
- Writer
