For a moment, I couldn’t breathe.
Not because he was too close.
Not because of the tension.
But because of what he said.
Because I couldn’t stay away.
The words lingered in the air, heavy, impossible to ignore, impossible to pretend I didn’t hear them.
I let out a quiet breath, forcing myself to recover.
“That’s not a good enough reason,” I said, even though my voice lacked the firmness I wanted.
“It’s the truth.”
“That doesn’t make it acceptable.”
“It makes it honest.”
I shook my head slightly, trying to regain control of the situation, of myself.
“You don’t get to just show up here because you feel something.”
“And you don’t get to pretend you don’t.”
“That’s not the same thing.”
“It is when it leads to this.”
I crossed my arms, creating a barrier between us.
“This is ex
