Cassidy
I grabbed the phone from his hand, ending the call with trembling fingers. The silence that followed was deafening. I couldn't hear anything but the thunder in my own chest, like my heart was trying to escape before the fallout hit.
Kieran stepped back from me, jaw tight, eyes unreadable.
"I didn't—" I began, but my voice cracked.
He didn't say anything.
Just watched me.
That silence was worse than yelling. Worse than growling or throwing something or turning his back. This… this silent hurt felt like punishment far greater than I could endure.
"I didn't mean it like that," I said, my voice shaking. "When I talked to him… it was months ago. Things were different then. I was confused. Everything was moving so fast, and I just—I just needed someone to talk to who wasn't in this world."
"And that someone was him?" he asked finally, his voice low. Controlled. Too controlled.
I swallowed. "I didn't tell him I wanted to run away."
