NICHOLAS POV
I observed her... and whatever was eating her up really cut in deep because she kept staring at the ground.
Just seeing her like this made my chest ache, and all I wanted to do was pull her into my arms and just hold her.
God, she was beautiful... why did James get to have someone this perfect? James didn’t deserve her.
Her shoulders trembled slightly. She fought so hard to hide it, but I noticed it and not just that, but also the way her hands clenched at her side like she was trying to keep herself from slowly falling apart.
“Stella,” I finally said, voice low, gentle, and firm.
Her head jerked up, her eyes wild. God, she had such beautiful, mesmerizing eyes, and she was so vulnerable. The way she looked at me made something twist in my chest.
“I... I’m fine,” she whi
