Matthew’s POV
Her silence burned into me more than any rejection could. That quiet, that hesitation… it was the crack in her armor I’d been waiting for.
I stayed there, inches away, feeling the rise and fall of her breath against my chest. My hand remained on her waist, not pulling, not forcing just there. A promise. A claim.
“Sapphire,” I murmured, my voice dropping lower, meant only for her. “You don’t have to decide tonight. All I’m asking… is for you to stop running.”
Her eyes flicked up to mine, wide and conflicted. God, she was beautiful when she fought herself when her pride screamed one thing but her heart whispered another.
“You make everything sound so easy,” she whispered back, her lips trembling.
“Because with me, it is,” I answered instantly. No hesitation, no fear. “You
