Juliette:
I’d been dodging Maddox all day.
Not because I wanted to avoid him forever, but because the mere sight of him made my heart thump in ways that reminded me how complicated everything had become. One glimpse of those steady brown eyes, and I’d be drowning in guilt, confusion, and longing, all at once. So that morning, before I talked myself out of it, I sent him a quick message:
-Rough day. Just need space. I’ll talk to you later.-
He answered almost immediately, as if he’d been waiting for something, anything, from me:
-Okay. I’m here when you need me. Want to meet up? Just talk?-
I stared at my phone for a good five minutes, watching the little typing indicator appear and disappear. He was so earnest, so gentle. Part of me wanted to throw on my jacket and sprint to his pla
