I hesitated for a moment, longer than I cared to admit. I didn't think I've ever done this before. This was unfamiliar territory, vulnerable. Leaving me exposed in a way I hadn't allowed myself before. And I knew why he asked me of this. He wanted me to shed all my layers, in front of him. Like a sacrifice, in an ancient ritual.
Even as doubt flickered at the edges of my mind, I refused to back down. I squared my shoulders and kept my gaze locked on his red ones, letting it ground me. Holding onto his fierce, unspoken challenge that grounded me, steadying the tremble in my hands.
Slowly, deliberately, I let my fingers curl around the hem of my sweater. The cotton fabric soft beneath my touch, a gentle contrast to the tension tightening in my chest. I tugged it just enough to slide upward, the movement slow and teasing, like a secret being revealed on fragile piece at a time.
