LILY
“Why did you stop?”
The question left my lips before I could hold it back, my voice softer than I intended, laced with confusion and something a little more vulnerable than I was ready to admit.
Alex didn’t answer immediately.
His hands were still on my waist, steady, grounding, like he hadn’t fully decided to let go yet. His forehead rested lightly against mine, his breathing uneven in a way that mirrored mine, but there was something else there, too.
Restraint.
“I don’t want this to happen like this,” he said quietly.
I frowned, pulling back just enough to look at him properly. “Like what?”
His gaze flickered over my face, like he was choosing his words carefully, like he didn’t want to get this wrong.
“Like something we didn’t think through,” he replied, his voice low but
