The first rays of dawn slipped through the curtains, casting soft gold across the Donovan guest room. I lay awake long before the light reached me, staring at the ceiling, my chest tight from everything that had happened last night.
Tristan's words still lingered, echoing like a song I couldn't turn off. I care about you. I've always meant it.
Every part of me wanted to hold onto those words, but guilt gnawed at the edges. Sophia. She was my anchor, my oldest friend. And now, more than ever, I feared losing her.
I sat up slowly, the blanket falling away, and pressed my hands together as if prayer could erase the memory of his eyes, his voice, and his closeness.
I needed some air.
I quietly slipped out of the room and padded barefoot into the hall. The house was silent, and the stillness felt heavy rather than peaceful.
And then I noticed him.
Tristan.
Leaning against the wall outside my door, his posture was deceptively casual, but his eyes caught mine instantly, sharp even in the soft dawn light.
He murmured, "You're awake early."
My breath hitched. "So are you."
He shrugged, but the worry in his eyes betrayed his calm voice. "Couldn't sleep." His glance briefly shifted to the far end of the hall, toward Sophia's room, then returned to me. "I just wanted to check if you were okay."
The words tightened my throat. He had been standing there, guarding me all night, maybe. The thought both comforted and unsettled me.
"Tristan…" My voice broke. "You can't continue this. Sophia, she'll notice, and I can't…"
"Ellie." He moved closer quietly, his voice soft. "Sophia loves you. She won't hate you for this."
But what about me? Would I feel hatred for myself if I allowed this to continue?
I moved back toward the stairs, craving space and wanting to be away from him. My hand clutched the railing tightly, knuckles blanching. "You don't get it. She's my closest friend. If she starts seeing me differently, I'll lose her. And I, I can't handle that." My voice trembled, revealing my distress.
His jaw clenched, but his eyes softened in a way that made me ache. "And what about me? Can you stand losing me?"
The question cut deeper than I was prepared for. My lips parted, but no answer came. Only silence.
A soft knock sounded behind us. Sophia's door opened, and her voice, still sleepy but curious, drifted into the hall.