Claire's POV
I had only come to Evander because I needed something from him. Yet here I was, standing in front of him, feeling as though the weight of his words had shattered something inside me. The way he spoke, the pain in his voice— it was like staring into a storm I couldn't pull him out of.
My heart ached, and every fiber of my being screamed at me to reach out to him, to hold him and tell him he didn't have to carry all that darkness alone. But I couldn't. Not with who he was. Not with who we were to each other for now!
If I did reach him, all the walls that were cracking might crumble right away.
I stood frozen, silent, letting the heavy silence hang between us. Finally, I managed to speak, though my voice came out shaky, betraying the emotions I tried so hard to hide.
