The moment Ethan’s forehead touched mine, everything inside me had gone unbearably still.
And when he whispered I won’t leave…
I believed him, but a tiny part of me had doubts.
Then he stepped back,slowly, gently, like he was afraid I’d shatter if he moved too fast,and something inside me twisted. Not because he did anything wrong. But because the moment his warmth left my skin… the silence came rushing back.
The silence I hated.
The silence where my thoughts lived.
I turned away from him under the pretense of catching my breath, pretending I just needed space.
But I wasn’t okay.
I wasn’t anywhere close to okay.
The office felt too big.
The windows felt too bright.
And suddenly the air was too thin, like the world was shrinking around me.
I pressed a palm to my desk, steadying
