ina'

have a thing

ace. His voice was low, a dangerous edge to it, and for a second, I was

gh that I could feel the heat radiating off him, could see the way his eyes search

t thinking.

s like the air had been stolen from my lungs, leaving me

made me feel like everything I'd been trying

table. We were balanced on the edge of something, and I couldn't tell if I want

is phone, and something flickered in his eyes as he glanced

t before - in passing, whisper

ian

. She was his someone. I felt my

as I feelin

rms crossing over my chest. I masked the sting with a po

thing wrong just by standing so close to him. Like I h

eah, I'm fine. Good... I'll be there in a bit," he said, voice low and casual, like we hadn'

s hand had just been, the heat of his touch still etched into my s

nd sighed. "I'll have to

ide, I was unraveling just a little. We stood in silence for a moment

ked, hating how hesitan

tain flickering behind his eyes.

The confirmati

etween us like an anchor. I shouldn't have felt anything, but the ache in my chest sai

lowed the lump in my throat. No, I wasn't. Not really.

. "Yeah. I'm fine. Thanks to you." He smiled

There was a pause. Then his voice shif

"I'm good, thanks. My dorm's just around the corner." He

ment longer, caught in the silence, i

he said finally, his

," I replied, my

ulling me farther from something I wasn't even sure I had. The night air was cold, but not co

myself. My phone rested on my chest, but I hadn't looked at it in

with

ian

he existed in his life, in his space, in the way he said my girlfriend like a bold stateme

curled in on myself, as if I could shrink away from the thoughts chasing me. But they always caught up - the way his hand h

me? Was I im

God, I felt so pathetic. "Don't think about it," I whispered

let myself feel too much. And now I

g's

, shirtless, unmoving, like I'd been pin

her breath warm and steady like clockwork. My arm re

more. I wasn't texting. I wasn't scrolling. I was just... st

it might clear my head, but it only made th

t help it. The way her face was so close to mine, her breath brushing against my

to my reality. I exhaled, slow and heavy, li

snuggled closer. I wrapped an arm around her, instinctively

o wake her, and turned onto my side. My back to her. M

rac

hing was okay. I had told her I had a girlfriend - casually, like it mea

d

should've. Like I wasn't just telling her - I was reminding myself. That I belonge

driana, it's stuck in my head. Like something fragile

holding on. Wanting it to matter. Wanting to belie

.. God, what does