I can’t stay still.
My body keeps betraying me—small movements, restless, desperate, my fingers gripping the sheets like it’s the only thing keeping me grounded.
Everything feels too much.
Max’s hand presses firmly into my back.
“Enough.”
The word lands heavier than anything else he’s done.
I freeze.
My breath uneven.
My body still reacting, still chasing something that isn’t coming.
I turn my head slightly, confused—disoriented by how suddenly everything stopped.
“Max…” I whisper.
His grip doesn’t tighten.
Doesn’t punish.
Instead it shifts.
His hand slides from my back to my side, steadying me as he gently helps me up.
The movement is slow, like he’s giving me time to catch up.
I sit there for a second, blinking, trying to process it—my chest still rising too fast, my body
