MAYA

The air between us was thick with a heat that threatened to consume the last of my resolve. But I knew better, and the reality of my situation crashed back down just as quickly.

"I'm tired," I managed to force out. My voice was small, cracked with the weight of everything I’d been holding back.

The effect was instant. Silas froze. His gaze snapped back to my eyes, and for a split second, he looked completely lost—like he’d just been jolted out of a trance. The heat in his eyes vanished, replaced by a flash of something that looked almost like shame.

He abruptly let go of me, pulling...