I swallow hard.
“We need to talk,” I whisper.
He nods once. “Close the door.”
I do.
Then I stand there like a malfunctioning human being.
He waits.
Patient. Still. Silent.
I hate it.
“I…” I exhale shakily. “I think I messed things up.”
He tilts his head, studying me carefully.
“How?”
“By running. By… panicking. By avoiding you. By talking to Evan instead of you. By… everything.”
His jaw tightens just slightly.
“I see.”
“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” I whisper, voice breaking around the edges. “I just, last night scared me.”
“Why?” he asks quietly. “Because it was too much?”
“No.” My throat tightens. “Because it felt right.”
His expression cracks, just a hair. Enough that I feel it like a blow.
I step closer.
He watches me like he’s not sure I’ll stay.
“I don’t know how to do this,” I admit. “I don’t know how to fall for someone without falling apart.”
He stands. Slow. Deliberate.
“Ruby,” he murmurs, “you’re not falling apart.”
“You didn’t see me hiding behind a vending machine,” I choke out.
Something like a smile tugs at his lips, but it’s soft, sad.
“I saw you pull away.”
He steps closer.
“And I wanted to chase you,” he admits quietly. “But I didn’t want to make it worse.”
I swallow. “Why do you care so much?”
He takes another step, now close enough that I can feel the heat of him.
