TESSA'S POV

The lie hung heavy in the air, a suffocating weight that pressed down on my chest, suffocating me. Adrian's reaction was a gut punch I had actually anticipated but dreaded. The hurt flickered in his eyes, a raw vulnerability that made me go weak with pain. But I held my ground, my expression an impassive mask. It was best this way, it would hurt him, it would hurt both of us actually but I was willing to do it.

He reached his trembling hand out to me, a silent plea in his touch, but I flinched back. The physical contact was a forbidden bridge, a dangerous reminder of...