Avery's gaze lingered on Ethan, her breath catching in her throat as she absorbed his words. "I trust you, Ethan. I just… sometimes I worry. What if this connection makes us more vulnerable than we realize?"
Ethan's eyes darkened with concern. "That's a possibility," he admitted, "but we can't let fear dictate our actions. If we retreat, if we allow doubt to seep in, that's when we lose."
Avery nodded, but a flicker of uncertainty remained. "I understand that. But what if we're not strong enough? What if we're just setting ourselves up for failure?"
Ethan reached out, his fingers gently lifting her chin so that their eyes met. "You're stronger than you think, Avery. We both are. And together—there's nothing we can't face."
