Kassie didn’t call Marcus back.
She wanted to. God, she wanted to. Wanted to tell him she’d figured it out, that she was ready, that she’d choose him.
But that would be a lie.
And Marcus deserved better than lies.
He deserved someone who was all in. Someone who didn’t have to convince herself to be in love. Someone who heard “I love you” and felt joy instead of panic.
Because that’s what she’d felt when Marcus said it. Two months into dating, over dinner at that seafood place by the water. He’d said it so casually, like it was obvious, like it was easy.
“I love you, Kassie.”
And instead of feeling warm, feeling safe, feeling *something*—she’d felt trapped.
She’d frozen. Smiled awkwardly. Said “Thank you” like an i***t.
The hurt in his eyes had been immediate. But he’d recovered qu
