Nickolas’s POV
I walked toward her without a word, and when I sat beside her, the mattress dipped slightly, the space between us heavy with tension. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, trying to erase the tears that still clung to her lashes, blinking rapidly as if that would undo the rawness of everything she'd just revealed. But she couldn’t hide the redness, the swelling, or the quiet sniffles that still slipped through. She tried to pretend she was composed, but I saw right through her.
God, she was beautiful.
Even with her hair a mess, her cheeks flushed, and her eyes rimmed with emotion—especially then—she was beautiful.
“You still look beautiful,” I said quietly, a soft smirk tugging at the corner of my lips. “Even with snot and tears all over your face.”
She gasped i
