Clara had been avoiding the conversation for days.
Every time Kieran smiled at her, every time he reached for her hand, she smiled back, but it wasn’t the same. Inside, there was a growing weight she couldn’t shake. She hated herself for it, hated how Diane’s reappearance had triggered this spiral, but pretending everything was fine was exhausting.
By Friday night, she’d reached her limit.
Kieran had invited her over after work, planning to cook dinner. She almost canceled, but something inside her decided it was time. If she kept holding this in, she knew it would eat away at what they had.
He was in the kitchen when she arrived, sleeves rolled up, chopping vegetables while music played softly in the background. He looked relaxed, humming faintly under his breath. When he turned and s
