The shadow stepped fully into the light, and my heart froze.
It was him. Not a stranger. Not some faceless stalker. Him. The one I never expected, the one I had seen, interacted with… maybe even dismissed countless times.
“Aiden?” I breathed, disbelief and anger twisting together. “It was you?”
He didn’t flinch. His eyes—those familiar, intense eyes—held mine steadily. “Yes,” he said quietly. “It’s been me. All this time.”
I stumbled back, shaking my head. “Why? Why didn’t you just… tell me? Why make me—” My voice cracked. “Why make me scared?”
He ran a hand through his hair, conflicted. “I wanted to protect you. But I… I couldn’t risk you thinking I was overstepping, or… or pushing you away. I needed to know you were safe. Even if it meant staying in the shadows.”
My chest tightened
