Varen
I swallowed down the urge to hold Josie, the ache in my chest nearly breaking me in half as I forced myself to take several steps back. She looked so damn fragile—confused, wounded, vulnerable—and every instinct in me screamed to close the distance, to shield her, to whisper that she wasn't alone. But I couldn't. Not now. Not when she was like this. Touching her would feel like taking advantage of something I had no right to claim yet.
Her eyes followed me like she wanted answers, like she wanted me to be the one to anchor her spinning world. The air between us pulsed with tension, heavy, and my fists clenched at my sides just to keep from giving in.
I turned away before I broke my own resolve.
One step. Then another. And another.
