Amara's POV
Continuation:
The door creaked open, and he stepped inside.
Xavier didn’t speak at first. Just stood there, watching me with those unreadable eyes—dark and intense, as if he already knew what I was thinking before I even said a word.
I looked away, suddenly feeling too exposed. I hated that he could still make me feel this way. Like I was transparent. Like he could see all the cracks I tried so hard to hide.
“Are you okay?” he asked finally, voice softer than I expected.
I swallowed, still not looking at him. “You’ve been gone.”
His footsteps were slow, deliberate. “I gave you space.”
“Why?” I asked, eyes flicking up to meet his. “Because I slapped you?”
He didn’t flinch. “Because you needed time. And because I didn’t want to push you… not yet.”
Not yet.
The way he
