Chapter 43 - “Too Close to Stay Away”

Riyana should have gone home. That was the plan. She was supposed to leave the building, get in her car, and put everything behind her for a few hours. Breathe. Sleep. Try to exist without replaying every second of the past few days. But instead, she found herself on the terrace. The city spread out below her, alive and restless, lights flickering as if they didn't care about what had just happened. The wind was stronger up here, sharper, pulling at her hair and cooling the heat that wouldn't leave her chest. She gripped the railing. Tighter than necessary. "Running away doesn't suit you." His voice came from behind her. Of course. She didn't turn. "I'm not running." A pause. Then footsteps. Slow. Measured. Closer. "You left without saying anything," Bosco said. "That usually means something." She exhaled, annoyed that he could read her so easily. "I just needed space." "From what?" She let out a short, humorless laugh. "Take a guess." Silence followed. But it wasn't empty. It was waiting. Riyana finally turned. He was closer than she expected. Too close. Close enough that she could see the shift in his expression, how his eyes searched her face as if he was trying to understand something she hadn't said yet. "You should stay away from me," she said. The words came out steadier than she felt. Bosco didn't react as she expected. No surprise. No argument. Just a slight tilt of his head. "Why?" Her jaw tightened. "You know why." "I want to hear you say it." Something in his tone, calm but unyielding, pressed against her control. "I killed someone," she said, the words sharp and heavy. The wind seemed to still for a second. Bosco didn't move. "You defended yourself," he corrected. "That's what they called it," she shot back. "Doesn't change what happened." "It changes everything." "No, it doesn't." Her voice rose slightly, frustration breaking through. "He's still dead. Because of me." "And you're still here," Bosco said, his voice lower now, firmer. "Because you fought back." "That doesn't make it okay." "It makes it real." The words hit harder than she expected. Riyana looked away, shaking her head. "You don't get it." "Then make me understand." She laughed again, but this time there was no humor in it. "You really want to know what it feels like?" she asked, her voice quieter now, almost raw. "It feels like I crossed a line I can't uncross." Bosco took a step closer. The distance between them shrank. Dangerously. "You didn't cross it," he said. "He did." Her breath caught. For a moment, just a moment, she felt the weight shift. But then it came crashing back. "You don't get to decide that for me," she whispered. "And you don't get to rewrite it into something it wasn't," he replied. The tension snapped. Riyana turned sharply, trying to move past him. "I don't want to talk about this." But she didn't get far. His hand closed around her wrist. Not harsh. But firm enough to stop her. The contact sent a sharp awareness through her. "Let go," she said, her voice lower now. "Not until you stop running." "I told you, I'm not..." "Riyana." Her name, again. Quieter this time. Closer. She stilled. Slowly, she turned back toward him. They were standing too close now. Close enough that she could feel his warmth, the steadiness of his breathing, and the tension they both knew existed. "You don't get to push me away like this," he said. Her heart stuttered. "Why not?" "Because this didn't just change you," he said. "It changed us." Her eyes flickered. "There is no 'us,'" she said, but it came out weaker than she intended. Bosco's gaze didn't waver. "You don't believe that." She swallowed. He stepped closer. Just enough. Now there was barely any space left between them. "You think I don't see it?" he continued, his voice low and controlled. "The way you look at me. The way you stay even when you say you want to leave." Her breath hitched. "Stop." "Or what?" Her pulse raced. "I mean it, Bosco." "So do I." The words landed between them, heavy and unshakable. Riyana tried to pull her hand free. He didn't tighten his grip. But he didn't let go either. "Why are you doing this?" she asked, her voice softer now, unsteady. "Because you're pretending this doesn't matter," he said. "And it does." "Why?" The question slipped out before she could stop it. It wasn't about the argument anymore. It was something deeper. Something she wasn't ready to face. Bosco held her gaze. "Because you matter." Her chest tightened. The air between them shifted. Thicker. Warmer. Too aware. Riyana's eyes dropped for a second, to his lips—before snapping back up. A mistake. A dangerous one. Because he noticed. Of course he did. Everything stilled. No wind. No noise. Just Them. Her breath slowed, uneven. His hand was still around her wrist, but now it felt different. Less like a restraint. More like a connection neither of them broke. "You should let go," she whispered. But she didn't move. Neither did he. "Do you want me to?" he asked quietly. Her throat went dry. The answer sat right there, obvious. Terrifying. "No," she said. Barely audible. But enough. Something shifted in his expression. Not softer. Deeper. He lifted his free hand slowly, giving her time to pull away. She didn't. His fingers brushed lightly against her jaw, tilting her face up just enough. Her breath caught sharply. "Bosco…" she murmured, but there was no real protest in it. Just a warning. Or maybe a question. He didn't answer. Not with words. The space between them disappeared. Almost. So close that she could feel his breath against her lips. Every nerve in her body lit up at once. This was a mistake. She knew it. But she didn't step back. Didn't move. Didn't breathe. For a moment, Everything held. And then, she turned her face away. The moment broke. Sharp. Sudden. Riyana pulled her hand free this time, stepping back, her chest rising and falling too fast. "I can't," she said, her voice unsteady. Bosco didn't reach for her again. But he didn't step back either. "Why?" he asked. "Because if I don't stop this now…" she swallowed hard, struggling to find the words. "I won't be able to later." Silence. Heavy. Real. Bosco watched her carefully, something unreadable in his expression. "And that scares you?" he asked. She let out a shaky breath. "Yes." That was the truth. The whole of it. For a moment, neither of them moved. The tension didn't disappear. It lingered. Unresolved. Stronger than before. Riyana stepped back again, needing space now just to think. But even with the distance, it didn't feel like distance anymore. Because something had already shifted. Something neither of them could undo. And this time, walking away wasn't going to be that simple.