Josie
I tried to be calm, but I was losing it. My chest felt too tight, my lungs straining as if they couldn't keep up with the storm inside me. My hands trembled at my sides, and no matter how many times I told myself to breathe, I couldn't. My heartbeat was so loud it drowned out every whisper in the hall, and yet, every pair of eyes on me made it worse.
What was he going to say?
Kiel stood there, so controlled, so untouchable, while I burned from the inside out. The way his gaze cut through me made me feel both anchored and shattered. I hated that I cared so much about what was about to come out of his mouth. I hated that his words mattered more than anything else in this room.
I forced my voice to work, though it came out softer than I wanted. "Answer me, Kiel. Please."
