KYLE
The tension between Valerie and I was unbearable. After all I’d said, after my frustrations poured out like a dam that finally broke, I expected her to lash back. I wanted her to—needed her to. I was ready to meet her fire with my own, to drown myself in the chaos of an argument rather than the mess of emotions swirling in my chest. But when she spoke, her tone wasn’t defiant.
“I’m sorry, Kyle,” she said softly, her voice steady yet calm.
I froze, the words cutting through my anger like a blade. Sorry? I turned to her, my fists clenched, my jaw tight, struggling to comprehend why she wasn’t fighting me. Valerie never apologized—at least not like this. She always had a barb hidden somewhere, a sharp edge to protect herself. But this? This was disarming.
The apology only fueled my i
