The silence after the kiss felt different.
Not awkward.
Not uncertain.
Dangerous.
Life-changing.
The kind of silence that comes after two people finally stop lying to themselves.
Amelia stood motionless.
Her heart still racing.
Her lips still tingling.
Her entire world still spinning.
Ethan remained close.
Too close.
And yet somehow not close enough.
For several seconds neither spoke.
Neither moved.
Neither seemed willing to break whatever had just happened.
Because both understood something important.
There was no going back now.
The kiss had changed everything.
Months of distance.
Months of misunderstandings.
Months of pretending.
Gone.
Completely gone.
Ethan looked at her quietly.
His dark eyes softer than she had ever seen.
More vulnerable.
More honest.
And
