ANNA'S POV

James let out a small breath, the kind that barely lifted his chest but was loud enough for me to hear because of how tense the air suddenly became around us. His eyes moved quickly, scanning every corner of the surroundings like he was afraid someone might be watching or listening. Only after taking in everything did he step closer to me.

As he moved forward, I instinctively took a step back. I didn’t even think about it, I just did. The whole thing felt uncomfortable, and the way he hesitated in his movements made it obvious he was ashamed to say whatever he wanted to tell me....