Alice
"I still have a class to attend, Javier." I forced my voice to remain steady, even as the weight pressing against my chest made it difficult to breathe. "This isn't the right time to talk." I paused before adding, my words tinged with quiet pleading, "Besides... we've already talked about this."
I didn't want to hurt him anymore. I didn't want to see him like this—standing in front of me, desperately clinging to something I knew, deep inside, I had already let go of.
Yet there he was, still stepping closer, still reaching out, even after I had pushed him away again and again.
"I love you," he replied immediately, without hesitation. "And you know that." He took another step toward me. "I'll fight for you with my mom. Even if she gets angry, even if things get messy—I ca
