NIKO.
The moment Alex looked flustered by my touch, I knew I had crossed an invisible line. I withdrew my hand almost immediately, the cold air rushing in where warmth had briefly existed. “I’m sorry,” I said, meaning it more deeply than the words could carry. “I didn’t think that through.”
She nodded quickly, too quickly, as if she wanted to bury the moment before it could breathe. Her eyes flickered away from mine, and though her lips curved into something that looked like calm, I could feel the tension hanging between us: thick, unspoken and yet, alive. It felt like we were both standing at the edge of something fragile, holding truths in our mouths and refusing to let them fall.
“It’s nothing,” she repeated, her voice steady but guarded. “I just needed some air.”
I wanted to press
