Yuna:
The words had barely left my lips when everything changed.
"I won't leave you alone."
I had said it with certainty. With everything I felt.
But Ethan—
He didn't respond with words.
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His eyes darkened in a way that made my breath catch.
Before I could even react—
He grabbed my face and kissed me.
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It wasn't soft.
It wasn't gentle.
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It was harsh.
Angry.
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His lips crashed against mine with a force that made my whole body stiffen, my hands instinctively pushing against his chest. But he didn't move. He didn't even flinch.
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I tried to pull away.
"Ethan—" I managed to whisper against his lips.
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But he didn't stop.
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The kiss deepened, rough and demanding, like he was trying to shut me up, like he was trying to pour all his anger, fear, and frustration into that one moment.
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It hurt.
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"Stop—" I said, my voice breaking as I pushed him harder.
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But he held me tighter.
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My fingers curled against his shirt as I struggled, my breath uneven, my chest rising quickly.
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"It hurts," I said, louder this time.
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Still—
He didn't stop.
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Something in me snapped.
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I bit him.
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Hard enough to make him pull back.
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He stopped.
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For a second—
Everything froze.
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His breathing was heavy, his eyes locked on mine, something wild still flickering in them.
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I stared back at him, my lips trembling, my chest tight.
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Neither of us spoke.
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Then suddenly—
He pulled away completely.
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Opened the door.
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Walked around to the driver's seat without looking at me again.
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The silence that followed was suffocating.
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The car started.
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And we drove.
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No words.
No glances.
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Just the sound of the engine and the weight of everything that had just happened.
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I sat there quietly, my fingers lightly touching my lips, still feeling the sting of that kiss. My heart wasn't calm—it wasn't angry either.
It was confused.
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Because that wasn't just anger.
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That was something else.
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Something he didn't know how to control.
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When we arrived at his base, the car stopped abruptly.
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Before I could even unbuckle my seatbelt—
He was already out.
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The door on my side opened.
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"Come."
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His voice was back to that cold tone again.
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I stepped out slowly.
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The place was familiar now.
But tonight—
It didn't feel safe.
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Not with the way he was acting.
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He didn't wait for me.
Didn't walk beside me.
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He led.
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Fast.
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Through the halls.
Upstairs.
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Stopping in front of a room.
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He opened the door.
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Then—
Without warning—
He pushed me inside.
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I stumbled forward slightly, catching myself before I fell.
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"What—" I turned quickly.
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But he was already standing at the door.
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"You're staying here," he said.
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My heart dropped.
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"What?" I shook my head, confused. "Ethan, what are you saying—"
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"You're not leaving this room," he continued, his voice firm, leaving no space for argument. "Not until I say so."
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My chest tightened.
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"You can't do that," I said immediately, stepping closer. "You can't lock me here."
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His hand rested on the door.
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"Yes, I can."
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His tone didn't change.
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My eyes widened.
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"No, you can't!" I shouted now, my voice breaking slightly. "I'm not something you can control like this!"
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For a moment—
He looked at me.
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Really looked at me.
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And there was something in his eyes again.
Something conflicted.
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But it disappeared just as fast.
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"You're staying," he repeated.
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Then—
He stepped out.
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And the door closed.
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The sound echoed louder than it should have.
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I stood there.
Frozen.
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For a few seconds—
I didn't move.
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Then I rushed forward.
Grabbing the handle.
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Locked.
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"Ethan!" I shouted, banging on the door. "Open this! You can't do this to me!"
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No answer.
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"Ethan!"
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Silence.
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My hands slowly dropped.
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And the realization hit.
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He wasn't coming back.
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Not now.
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Not after this.
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My back pressed against the door as I slowly slid down to the floor, my knees pulling in close to my chest.
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Tears fell again.
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Not from fear this time.
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From pain.
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"Why…" I whispered, my voice barely audible.
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Why is he doing this to me?
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I buried my face in my arms.
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"Why don't you understand me…" I cried softly.
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"I just wanted to be with you…"
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My chest hurt.
My throat burned.
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"I didn't come to hurt you…"
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I clenched my hands tightly.
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"I came because I care…"
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But he didn't see it that way.
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He only saw danger.
Risk.
Fear.
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"Why don't you want me beside you…" I whispered again, my voice breaking completely.
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The room felt too quiet.
Too empty.
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And for the first time—
Even though I was safe—
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I felt alone.
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Outside—
Life continued.
Voices moved.
Steps echoed.
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And somewhere in that same place—
Ethan was there.
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But he felt further away than ever before.
The room didn't feel like a room.
It felt like a cage.
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The silence pressed against me from every side, heavy and suffocating. Even the faint sounds from outside—the distant footsteps, muffled voices, doors opening and closing—only made it worse. They reminded me that life was still moving out there…
While I was stuck here.
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I wiped my tears with the back of my hand, but they didn't stop. They kept coming, slow and warm, sliding down my cheeks no matter how much I tried to control myself.
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"I hate this…" I whispered, my voice shaking.
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Not the room.
Not the walls.
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But this feeling.
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The feeling that no matter how much I tried to reach him—
He kept pushing me away.
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I pulled my knees closer to my chest, wrapping my arms tightly around them as if that could somehow hold me together.
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"I thought you understood me…" I murmured.
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Images flashed through my mind—
The way he looked at me before.
The way he held me when I was hurt.
The way he said my name like it mattered.
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And now—
He locked me away.
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A small, bitter laugh escaped my lips.
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"So this is how you protect me…" I said quietly.
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Lock me.
Control me.
Push me away.
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I leaned my head back against the door, staring blankly at the ceiling.
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"You think I'll just stay here quietly?" I whispered.
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My fingers clenched slightly.
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"No…"
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I shook my head slowly, even though no one could see me.
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"I won't."
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Because even through the pain—
Even through the tears—
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One thing hadn't changed.
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I still wanted to stand beside him.
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Not behind him.
Not locked away.
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Beside him.
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I pushed myself up slowly from the floor, my legs still a little weak. My eyes scanned the room now—not in panic, but with intention.
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The room was simple.
A bed.
A table.
A window—
But reinforced.
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Of course.
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I walked toward it anyway, touching the glass lightly. Cold. Strong. Not something I could break easily.
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"…You really thought of everything," I muttered.
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A faint frustration built in my chest again.
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I turned away from the window, pacing slowly.
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"He doesn't trust me," I said out loud.
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The words hurt.
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But they felt true.
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"No…" I stopped walking.
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"That's not it."
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I closed my eyes briefly.
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"He doesn't trust the situation."
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That was the difference.
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That was Ethan.
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He didn't fear people.
He feared outcomes.
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And I—
Was something he couldn't control in those outcomes.
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My shoulders dropped slightly as I exhaled.
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"…You're scared," I whispered.
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Not of me.
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But for me.
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That realization softened something inside me—but it didn't take away the hurt.
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Because caring shouldn't feel like this.
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I walked back to the bed slowly and sat down, my hands resting in my lap.
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"If you're scared…" I murmured, staring at the floor,
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"…then why won't you just say it?"
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Why hide it behind anger?
Why turn it into control?
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Tears slipped down again.
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"I'm not weak," I said softly.
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My voice didn't shake this time.
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"I can stand with you…"
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I looked up slightly, as if he could hear me somewhere beyond those walls.
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"I proved it today."
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I pulled the blanket slightly, wrapping it around myself—not because I was cold, but because I needed something to hold onto.
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"I won't run away…"
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My grip tightened.
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"I won't leave you…"
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The room stayed silent.
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But my heart—
Wasn't.
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Because deep down—
I knew something.
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This wasn't over.
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Not this fight.
Not us.
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Ethan might have locked the door—
But he hadn't shut me out completely.
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And I wouldn't let him.
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Even if it meant breaking through every wall he built—
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I would still stand in front of him.
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Not as someone he needed to protect from a distance—
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But as someone who chose him.
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Again.
And again.
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And no locked door—
Would change that.