I closed the closet door slowly, took a breath through my nose, and turned to face her.
Up close, she looked tired. Not messy. Not broken. Just… worn thin in that controlled way she’d perfected over the years. The kind of exhaustion that didn’t beg for comfort. That scared me more than anger ever could.
“Yeah,” I said, setting the clothes on the nightstand.
She held my gaze. “About us.”
There it was.
I nodded once, jaw tightening. “Alright.” My voice came out calm. Low. Steady. It took effort to keep it that way.
Silence stretched between us again, thick with everything I hadn’t said and everything I was afraid she would.
“I’ve been avoiding you,” I said before she could speak again. I didn’t sugarcoat it. “That wasn’t an accident.”
Her lips parted slightly, but she didn’t interrupt.
“I needed space,” I continued. “Not because I don’t care. But because every time I open my mouth lately, I hear myself crossing lines I swore I wouldn’t cross again.”
Her eyes flickered at that.
“Are you even happy with me now, Elena?” I asked.
The words settled between us, heavy and unforgiving.
“I don’t want to cage you,” I said, firmer now.
My hands curled into fists at my sides. I unclenched them deliberately.
“But I’m not going to lie to you either,” I went on. “Letting you go terrifies the hell out of me.”
I took a step closer. Not crowding her, just closing the emotional distance enough that she’d know I wasn’t running.
“I’m trying to figure out how to release you without losing you,” I said quietly. “And I don’t have an answer yet.”
There was no break in my tone. Just truth.
“So if you’re about to tell me you’re done,” I added, meeting her eyes fully now, “say it. I won’t stop you.”
It took everything in me to stand there and mean it.
“I won’t chase you out of fear,” I finished. “But don’t mistake that for indifference.”
I fell silent, the room holding the weight of it. And for once, I didn’t move to fill the space.
She stayed silent for a moment, just staring at me.
Then she finally spoke. “Can I talk now?”
I nodded.
She took a slow breath before continuing.
“I know you’re trying for us,” she said quietly. “But I need time. Real time. And not the kind where you’re gone for weeks at a time.”
Her fingers tightened at her sides.
“I need to figure things out. About everything.”
