**Natalie’s POV**
The suffocating silence of the living room pressed down on my chest like an anvil. Every tick of the clock echoed like a loud strike against my nerve endings, amplifying the terrifying chill radiating from Gavin. He sat there—impassable, cold, carved out of stone—his dark eyes burning through my skin, demanding a truth that would destroy us both if I dared to utter it.
My pulse hammered against my ribs, frantic and desperate, like a wild bird throwing itself repeatedly against the bars of a cage. I could feel my cheeks burning beneath his gaze, every nerve ending screaming in sheer panic.
"The... the guy that called me babe yesterday..." I started, my voice trembling violently as I tried to force a steady rhythm into my chest. "He’s... he’s just my friend, Gavin. I swe
