8 - THE INTERVIEW TH

r the third time, pen poised o

their perfect social media image, their seemingly picture-perfect love story. But rumor

chpad in hand. His grin was present, but muted, al

he observed, rai

ough her jaw clenched. "I jus

s you. Makes you look focuse

couldn't stop the small s

ily photos, a scent of fresh flowers lingering in the

Sophia and Dean felt the undercurr

gan, voice calm. "But I've heard whispers t

changed a gla

ubconsciously, capturing the subtle expressions-the twitch of a l

easy. There was a time... when we almost

tightening. "Would you b

"It's painful," he admitted. "But maybe sharing it

ence, arguments left unresolved, illnesses that nearly tore

er pen moved furiously, capturing not just the words

trokes, chaotic but purposeful, capturing t

point... we almost gave up on each other. I didn't know if I

her hand. "But we

tion-but he was silent, focused, sketching the exact moment of vulnerabi

eir resilience-but she was also absorbing Dean's reactions. His closeness, his att

red, "could you...

er of something-concern, maybe desire-cr

t fade. The room was quiet except for the Carters' voices, th

ry glance they exchanged, every touch-it mirror

her. She hated that she couldn't stop noticing him,

neasy. "There's something else," he said finally. "Somet

looked at Dean. His pe

re?" she as

part of the story. But it's

to hers. No words.

re ready," she said softly.

th. "It was the year our

le

e tears that threatened. Dean's hand moved instinctively

r, the fracturing of a bond they hadn

he chill, but from the raw power of thei

erfectly-the silent tears, the handho

ean sat in silence. The Carters left t

nced at Dean. He looked... different. Serious. Grounded. Vul

y?" she

. "But... that hit closer than I expected. T

orced us to see ourselves, too. Our

rs again. This time,

l for you sometimes,"

urmured. "And I hate it even more whe

ngerous. Unwelcome. And y

sound of footsteps, too deliberat

o the window. "They'r

ulse quick

ective, steady. "They're getting closer. And this... whatev

ingled with desire, danger

ry had done more than break them-it had drawn them clo

e was closing in, patient,

ng cracks in their own defenses. Their attraction simmers amid grief, and the shado

m, leaving a quiet void that

he table. Her chest ached-not from physical exertio

of his drawings mirrored the raw grief, hope, and fragility they had just witn

she already knew the answer was more

st uncertainly. "But that... that hit hard. I haven't se

maller, somehow. The drafts, the deadlines... all o

lso makes me think about us. About what we'r

quickened.

ross the table, hand brushing hers-a small, almost im

outside, the shadows creeping closer, the dan

d herself to feel in months. Dean's presence was magne

ted, voice low, almost trembling. "And ho

ot alone," he said. "I feel it too. And I hate

n't pull away. The touch was electric, groun

eel this way,"

red, eyes dark with intensity. "But you

ed outside. Sophia's chest tightened,

scanned the window with precision, alert,

e spiked

pulling her up. "Stay behind me," he instructed. "Whatever

n evading was no longer a shadow in the backgroun

mplicitly, despite the flu

bout the Carters' story-the grief, the resilience, the unspoke

he way they survived. The way they kept

l is more than endurance. It's about connection. About tru

nstinct screamed caution, every nerve warned against closeness,

. us?" she

And I think... we're past the point

and uncertainty collided, making he

e the window-a subtle shif

re testing us," he whispered. "Watching how we react.

. "We can't let them see

nd steady. "We won't. We

The word carried weight, pr

ht air cool and crisp. The city ligh

fessed, voice low. "You. Us. Even with ev

ted. "And I hate that I can't protect you from my chaos-or from wha

e danger, the attraction, the chaos-they wer

h brushing against her ear. "We'll survive this," he w

, to let the chaos of desire overwhelm the order of her mind-but

hem. A shadow detached from the rooftop across

ightened. "They're closer

nger, every nerve screamed fear-and every thought

te tap on the glass door behind th

. "They're inside ou

onal vulnerability, the attraction she felt for Dean-al

t pull away from him

attraction simmers amid grief and professional boundaries, but the shadow following them escalates its