Fiona froze.
The words hung in the air between them like something fragile and luminous, too precious to touch. She did not expect an "I love you" from Caleb. Not tonight. Not like this—casual, soft, slipped in at the end of a simple goodnight as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
It was like her whole world stopped at that moment. The distant hum of the city outside her apartment window faded. The soft ticking of the clock on the wall disappeared. Everything narrowed down to just the two of them standing in the gentle glow of the living room lamp, inches apart, hearts suddenly beating far too loudly.
She couldn't even respond.
