Maya's POV
"I'm scared of being happy, I think," I whispered, the words barely audible in the quiet hospital room.
Sebastian's eyes searched my face, as though he was trying to decode every emotion flickering across my features. His thumb brushed across my knuckles, that simple contact anchoring me in the moment.
"Tell me what you mean," he said, his voice barely above a murmur.
I drew in a shaky breath, attempting to give voice to fears that had lived silently inside me for years. The weight of admitting this truth felt overwhelming, but necessary.
"I don't think either of us truly believes we deserve happiness in love," I began carefully. "You can't allow yourself to trust completely because you're always waiting for the betrayal. And me... I've never thought I was worth something genuinely beautiful."
His fingers interlaced with mine more tightly, something raw and pained crossing his expression.
"Maya..."
