*ADRIAN.*
Chloe’s eyes were bright and wide, and glistening with tears as she pinned me with an unimpressed look from beneath wet glistening lashes. She had pulled away from my hold, pushing the arms I had wrapped around her away, until she had straightened up so she was sitting up and we were at eye level. At the sight of her red puffy eyes, I felt my chest tighten with an emotion I was far too uncomfortable to name, but was worryingly similar to guilt. And for once in my life since I’d lost everything, I felt shame, so hot and visceral, pull down low in my gut, tightening around my throat like a large iron band, and forcing me to drag gaze away from her eyes, and down to where her hands sat folded around each other on her lap.
She huffed, rolling her eyes like she could read my mind.
