(Matthew's Point of View)
It had been too calm for a long time.
I could feel it in the air. The weight of the silence was heavy on us, and it felt like we were both waiting for something to happen but didn't want to be the one to start it.
Esther was sitting across from me with her hands in her lap and her eyes down. She hadn't said much in the last few minutes, but I could tell it wasn't because she didn't have anything to say. She was holding back, just like I had been doing for weeks.
I ran my fingers through my hair to try to get my thoughts in order. There was something between us that I couldn't ignore any longer. It had been building up, slowly at first, like a slow burn that was about to catch fire.
I said, "Esther," in a low, unsure voice. "We need to talk."
Her head jerked
