"I think we should stop,"
Asher blinks, his expression shifting from frustration to shock. And for a moment he doesn't say anything.
Say something. Tell me I'm wrong.
He looks at me for a long time. Like he's trying to see past whatever wall I just placed between us.
"You're serious." He says finally.
It's not a question and It's not what I expected to hear.
I nod, folding my arms around myself. My heart is pounding so hard I can hear it in my ears.
"Why?"
One word. It lands softly, too quiet.
Because I heard you say maybe.
Because I'm not easy.
Because I'm already in too deep.
"Because it was always temporary," I say instead. "We both knew that."
His jaw flexes.
"It's better to end it before it gets complicated."
The word hangs between us.
His eyes flicker at that.
"Complicated," he repeats.
I nod.
Don't ask me to explain.
Don't make me say it.
Say something.
Tell me I'm being stupid.
He exhales slowly. “Did I do something?”
For one terrifying second, I almost tell him the truth.
Almost ask him if I misunderstood.
But that would mean giving him the chance to hurt me for real.
And I’m not brave enough for that.
I shake my head silently.
"If that's what you want," he says quietly.
