C21 : Almost Said
The storm dwindled into a drizzle, then into nothing at all. Midnight had crept quietly into the shop, but neither of them had moved to leave. Mia stretched across her chair, legs tucked under her, the faint glow of the lamp softening her features. Adrian sat opposite, but his posture had changed — leaning forward, elbows on his knees, eyes fixed on the floor as though weighing something unspeakable. She sensed it immediately. The shift. The heaviness. "Adrian?" she asked softly. He looked up, and for once there was no practiced smile, no careful mask. Just weariness and something raw, threaded through with a longing he didn't bother to hide. "I should tell you..." he began, then stopped, jaw tightening. He shook his head. "No. You deserve better than half-truths." Her heart
- Writer
