Adrianna:
I didn’t know what to say. I had never been in a place to understand that kind of loss, that kind of love. But what I did understand was the way his words settled in my chest, the way my heart thudded a little harder for him. I didn’t need him to explain or to justify himself. I just needed him to know that I was here, present with him, in the now.
"I’m sorry, Sawyer," I whispered, my hand squeezing his. "I’m so sorry for what you lost."
Sawyer nodded, his grip on my hand tightening slightly. "I don’t talk about it. I don’t let anyone in. But you... you’ve been different from the start. And I just wanted you to know, before anything goes further, what I’m carrying. It’s not fair to hide it."
I sat with him in the silence that followed, my heart full but aching. I didn’t need
