Morning dawned under a gray sky, heavy like the tightness in Gabi's chest. She found Ravi on the porch, his suitcase already positioned next to the car. He was staring at the horizon, as if trying to etch every detail of the landscape into his memory before his departure.
"So you're really leaving," she stated, not as a question, but as an indictment.
Ravi turned around slowly. His eyes were shadowy, but she noticed the strain in his jawline, the way his fingers balled into fists.
"It's for the best," he responded, his voice raspy.
"Best for whom?" Gabi advanced, her heart racing. "You're just running away."
He didn't contradict her.
"If I stay, I won't be able to restrain myself. And you know what happens if someone discovers our secret."
Gabi felt her eyes stinging with tears, but
