I tell him he can go.
The words surprise me as they leave my mouth. I feel them pass my tongue before I’ve fully agreed with them in my head.
“You can see her,” I say, quieter than I meant to. “If you want to.”
Ethan looks at me like I’ve just handed him something sharp. Something he doesn’t trust himself to hold.
“Are you sure?” he asks.
I nod, even though my chest feels like it’s folding inward. “I just… don’t lie to me anymore. Please.”
That’s the real ask. Not permission. Honesty.
He steps closer. Takes my hands. Warm. Familiar now, which still scares me sometimes.
“I would never lie to you,” he says.
And I believe him. That’s the worst part. I believe him so easily it feels reckless.
We don’t talk much after that. Not because it’s awkward, but because it’s heavy. Like we’ve
