Caleb turns to face Lila fully, his heart hammering in his chest. He had imagined this moment countless times—her looking him in the eyes, acknowledging him after weeks of avoidance. But now that it was happening, he found himself rooted to the spot, afraid that one wrong word would send her retreating behind the door again.
Lila, on the other hand, feels a mix of emotions—anger, confusion, and something else she refuses to name. She had told herself she only wanted to confront him, to make him stop these daily deliveries. But now that he's standing in front of her, all she can think about is how tired he looks, how the shadows under his eyes tell a story she hasn't been around to hear.
"Lila,"he breathed her name, almost like he was testing to see if she was real. His eyes flickered down, scanning her frame as if searching for something—reassurance, proof that she was okay.
She wasn't sure she could give him that.
