The Distance Between
325 Words
Chapter 34 – The Distance Between
The room fell into silence after Jay’s outburst. Lena stood stiff, her eyes burning with unshed tears. She wasn’t sure if it was from fear, frustration, or something else entirely. Jay’s back was to her, his fists clenched at his sides, his body shaking from the weight of whatever he was carrying.
“You think I don’t care?” she finally said, her voice low but steady. “You think I haven’t noticed how you disappear when things get difficult? You pull me in and then shut me out again.”
He didn’t turn around. His voice, when it came, was ragged. “I’m trying to protect you.”
“By pushing me away?” she asked, stepping closer.
Still no response.
“You say you’re protecting me, but from what? From your past? From your secrets? From… whoever’s in that car that keeps following me?”
That made him turn. His eyes flashed with something close to panic. “What did you just say?”
“I saw it again. Black car. Same one. This time, it stopped. Watched me. Didn’t even pretend to hide.” Her voice broke slightly. “I was scared, Jay. I didn’t know if I was being hunted or tested.”
Jay’s jaw clenched. “You should’ve told me immediately.”
“I’m telling you now,” she snapped. “And don’t twist this. You’re not the only one walking through shadows here.”
They stared at each other, the heat between them intensifying. Not just anger — but that unspoken pull, neither could name. For a second, Lena thought he might reach for her. His eyes dropped to her lips. Her breath hitched.
But he stepped back.
“I’ll handle it,” he said coldly. “Just… stay out of it.”
And just like that, he shut the door behind him, taking the tension, the truth, and her heart with him.
- Writer
