Sophia's door shut with a quiet click, but the sound was louder in my chest than thunder.
I stood frozen on the stairs, Tristan still just a few feet away, and every nerve in my body screamed the same thing. She knew, maybe not the whole truth, but enough to make her feel jumpy.
"Ellie," Tristan murmured, stepping closer. His voice was low and careful, as though I might shatter if he said the wrong thing.
I shook my head quickly, holding out a hand to stop him. "Don't." My throat burned. "She saw us. She heard the way we were standing there, and she…" My breath hitched. "She's not stupid, Tristan."
The weight in his eyes was steady. His gaze was almost frustratingly calm. "Sophia is stronger than you think. "She'll understand."
But would she? Or would she look at me and see betrayal instead of friendship? I couldn't bear the thought of her eyes, which were full of gentleness and trust, turning cold because of me.
I sank onto the bottom step, my hands trembling against my knees. "I can't lose her," I whispered. "She's been with me through everything, through losing my dad, through moving schools, through nights when it felt like I had no one else. And if she thinks I've been keeping this from her..." My voice cracked. "It'll break us."
The silence stretched, heavy and suffocating.
Then Tristan crouched down in front of me, lowering himself until his eyes met mine. His hands stayed at his sides, but the intensity in his gaze was enough to pin me in place.
"You won't lose her," he said firmly. "Not because of me and not because of this."
I wanted to believe him. God, I really wanted to, but doubt coiled tight in my chest.
"She's your sister," I said hoarsely. "While I'm her best friend, even if she will not hate me, she'll feel caught in the middle. That's not fair to her."
His jaw clenched, but his voice softened. "And what about what's fair to you? To us?"
I closed my eyes, fighting the tears threatening to spill. Because the truth was, there was no fairness in this. There will be no path that I choose at this point that doesn't risk breaking something in between.
When I opened them again, I saw his face was closer and the sunlight was cutting across the sharp planes of his features, softening him in a way I wasn't prepared for.
And for one reckless heartbeat, all I could think was how much I wanted to close the distance.
A soft knock broke the fragile moment. Sophia's voice drifted from her room, steady but unreadable: "Ellie? Can we talk later?"