Catherine's POV
Looking at Julian— seeing the way his hands still trembled, and his eyes darted toward the door every time there was a noise from outside, made me feel a need to protect him. But underneath this feeling, I was also scared. Richard and my mom were back now, which meant that being inside his room wasn't safe for either of us.
"Hey," I whispered, my voice barely audible over the sound of my own racing heart. "I have to go. We don't want them thinking that the picture is real. You know… If Richard or my mom starts looking for us, it will be very hard to get out of the mess."
I started to pull my hand away, intending to stand, but Julian's fingers clamped around my wrist fast. He looked up at me with wide eyes, filled with a raw, echoing loneliness that shattered whatever resolve I had.
"Please, I need you," he rasped, his voice cracking. "Don't leave me here. I can't... I can't be alone with this. Not now."
