Eliana's chest heaved, the strap-on still clenched in her trembling hand. The silence between them was a blade. Nicky knelt there, pale and shaken, his eyes pleading but his body frozen. For a long moment he stayed that way, breath uneven, mind racing. Then he swallowed hard and pushed himself slowly to his feet.
"If this is what it takes," he murmured, voice low but steady, "then I'll do it." His eyes flicked to hers, filled with fear and resolve. "Let me… get ready."
He turned away, moving toward the bathroom, each step weighted but deliberate.
Eliana stared down at the strap-on still clutched in her hand.
Her chest rose and fell unevenly, anger warring with the sudden sting of regret. Tears slipped hot down her cheeks.
What did I do? The thought pulsed sharp in her skull.
This wouldn't change anything, she told herself — nothing could. And yet she couldn't just walk away from him either. Maybe this would fix something, maybe it wouldn't.
