Tiana knew something was wrong the moment Dare went quiet.
Not normal quiet.
Not the comfortable silence she had grown used to around him. This one felt heavier. Like his mind was somewhere else entirely.
They were sitting outside her hostel when he finally spoke.
"My father wants to meet you."
The words landed slowly.
Tiana blinked.
"Meet me?"
Dare nodded once, but he still wasn't looking at her.
The evening breeze moved softly around them. Somewhere nearby, students laughed loudly as they passed, but the sound felt distant.
Tiana studied him carefully.
"You do not sound excited about that."
Dare let out a dry laugh.
"Because I know my family."
That made her chest tighten slightly.
He finally looked at her.
"They are not like us, Tiana."
The sentence was soft, but it still stung.
Not like us.
She understood what he meant immediately.
The wealth.
The status.
The expectations.
The kind of people they considered acceptable.
Dare rubbed his hand over his face tiredly.
"My father already thinks you are beneath me."
Tiana looked away quickly before her expression betrayed her.
Even though she expected it…
hearing it out loud still hurt.
"He does not know me."
"I know."
"He judged me anyway."
"I know."
His voice carried frustration now, but not toward her. Toward himself. Toward the situation.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Dare sighed.
"You do not have to come."
Tiana looked at him.
"What?"
"You heard me."
His jaw tightened.
"I can handle them myself."
She stared at him quietly.
And suddenly, she understood.
He was scared.
Not ashamed of her.
Scared for her.
Scared she would walk into that house and feel small.
Scared his father's words would wound her.
Scared she would finally see the gap between their worlds and realize love was not always enough.
"Tiana—"
"I will come."
Dare frowned immediately.
"You did not even think about it."
"I did."
"No, you didn't."
"I did," she repeated calmly.
He shook his head.
"You do not understand how these people think."
"And you think I am weak?"
"That is not what I said."
"But it is what you are afraid of."
Dare looked away again.
That silence alone answered her.
Tiana's expression softened slightly.
She moved closer.
"Look at me."
Slowly, he did.
"If your father already hates me without knowing me…" she said quietly, "then hiding from him changes nothing."
Dare's throat tightened.
"And if I matter enough for you to stand against your family…"
She held his gaze.
"Then I should be brave enough to stand beside you too."
Something shifted in his expression then.
Not relief exactly.
Something deeper.
Love mixed with fear.
Dare reached for her hand slowly, intertwining their fingers tightly.
"You are stubborn."
A small smile touched Tiana's lips.
"You already knew that."
He laughed softly this time, but it faded quickly.
"You do not know what is waiting for you in that house."
"Maybe not."
She squeezed his hand gently.
"But I know what it would mean if I ran away from it."
Dare stared at her for a long moment.
And in that moment, he realized something terrifying.
He was no longer only afraid of losing his family.
He was afraid of losing her too.
Because if that meeting went badly…
Everything could change.