Hayden
The moment Ashley left my room, I sank onto the edge of my bed. The mattress felt too soft, almost like it was swallowing me, and for a brief moment, I allowed myself to just sit there, staring at the ceiling. Her footsteps fading down the hallway left a hollow ache in my chest, and I wondered if I had made the right choice by giving her space. Every fiber of me wanted to reach out, to pull her close and tell her that none of this had anything to do with her, that I would always protect her. But I had stopped myself, weighing the consequences with a careful, deliberate calculation.
If I let myself get close, I risked dragging her into my world even deeper. That world had no room for innocence or safety. One wrong move and everything we had could be destroyed. But pushing her away?
