"Amara, why…" The words stopped. He exhaled, dragging a hand through his hair, frustration not at her, but at himself.
"Listen, I…" he tried again, his voice lower now, stripped of its usual certainty. "I mean," Nothing came. For the first time in a long time…
Julian didn't know what to say. And Amara saw it. She turned slowly, her gaze landing on him, steady… but no longer searching. There was no expectation in her eyes. No silent plea for him to fix it.
Just… distance. And something that looked a lot like acceptance. It made his chest tighten.
Because this was the man who always had the right words. The one who could untangle any situation, smooth over any hurt. But standing here now…
He felt like a stranger in his own role. "I shouldn't have said that like that," he admitted finally, his voice rough. "Not there. Not in front of them." A step closer.
"I wasn't thinking about how it would make you feel." Another breath.
