I should have left.
That thought echoed in my mind long after everything had already gone too far.
But the truth was…
I didn't want to.
I stood there, still close enough to feel his presence like it was wrapped around me.
And it wasn't just physical anymore.
It was deeper than that.
Something I couldn't explain.
Something I couldn't ignore.
"You're still here," he said quietly.
I let out a soft breath.
"So are you."
A faint smirk touched his lips, but it didn't reach his eyes this time.
Because this wasn't just a game anymore.
We had crossed something.
And we both knew it.
"You keep saying you should go," he continued.
I looked at him, my chest tightening slightly.
"But you don't."
I swallowed.
"I could say the same about you."
He stepped closer again.
And just like before…
I didn't move.
That was becoming a pattern now.
One I wasn't sure I wanted to break.
"You're not even trying to stop this," he said.
His voice was low.
Steady.
But there was something behind it now.
Something that made my heart beat faster.
"Are you?" I asked softly.
Silence.
Then—
"No."
That answer hit differently this time.
Because it wasn't hesitation.
It wasn't uncertainty.
It was a choice.
And that made everything feel more real.
More dangerous.
More… inevitable.
My fingers curled slightly at my sides as I tried to steady myself.
But it wasn't working.
Because the closer he got…
The harder it was to think clearly.
"You're making this hard," I whispered.
His gaze locked onto mine.
"You're not helping either."
A small, almost breathless laugh escaped me.
"Maybe I don't want to help."
The moment the words left my lips—
Something shifted.
His expression changed.
Not dramatically.
But enough.
Enough for me to feel it.
"You don't mean that," he said.
I stepped closer this time.
Closing the distance on my own.
"Don't I?"
My voice was quieter now.
But steadier.
Because I was done pretending.
Done acting like this wasn't affecting me.
Done trying to stay in control when I clearly wasn't.
His eyes dropped briefly to my lips before lifting back to my eyes.
And that small movement…
That tiny shift in focus—
It said everything.
My breath hitched.
"You're playing a dangerous game," he murmured.
I shook my head slightly.
"This doesn't feel like a game."
That was the truth.
And saying it out loud made everything even more real.
Because games are easy.
Games don't stay with you after you leave.
Games don't make your chest feel tight…
like something important is happening.
But this?
This wasn't easy.
This stayed with me.
And that scared me more than anything else.
His hand lifted again, this time not hesitating as it brushed against my arm.
Slow.
Intentional.
And my body reacted instantly.
Like it remembered him.
Like it had been waiting for it.
"You feel it too," he said.
It wasn't a question.
I nodded slowly.
"Yes."
There was no point denying it anymore.
Because everything about me gave it away.
The way I wasn't stepping back.
The way I wasn't breaking eye contact.
The way I was still here.
"That's the problem," he added quietly.
I frowned slightly.
"Why is that a problem?"
His jaw tightened just a little.
"Because once you feel something like this…"
He paused.
"…it's hard to walk away."
My chest tightened again.
Because I knew exactly what he meant.
Because I was already feeling it.
That pull.
That connection.
That something that didn't make sense—
but felt too real to ignore.
"And you think I want to walk away?" I asked softly.
He didn't answer immediately.
And that silence…
It said more than words ever could.
Because he didn't know either.
He didn't know what this was becoming.
He didn't know where it would lead.
But he knew one thing—
It wasn't something simple anymore.
And neither of us could pretend it was.
"You should," he said finally.
The words felt heavier than I expected.
But I didn't move.
Didn't step back.
Didn't create distance.
Instead…
I stepped closer.
Closing whatever space was left between us.
"Maybe I don't want to do what I should," I whispered.
His breath hitched slightly.
And that was the moment everything shifted again.
Because this wasn't hesitation anymore.
This was decision.
His hand moved to my waist, pulling me just a little closer.
Not forceful.
But enough.
Enough to make my heart race even faster.
"Then what do you want?" he asked.
The question was soft.
But it carried weight.
Because it wasn't about him anymore.
It was about me.
About what I was choosing.
I looked up at him, my thoughts finally clear for once.
"I want to stop pretending this doesn't matter," I said quietly.
His gaze held mine.
Searching.
"And if it does?"
I swallowed.
"Then we deal with it."
Another pause.
Then—
"And if we can't?"
My heart pounded harder.
But I didn't look away.
"Then we'll regret it."
Silence.
Deep.
Heavy.
Because that was the truth.
Walking away now wouldn't make things easier.
It would just leave questions behind.
And maybe…
I didn't want questions anymore.
I wanted answers.
Even if they came with consequences.
His grip on my waist tightened slightly.
And for a second…
Everything else disappeared again.
"You're not making this easy," he said quietly.
I smiled faintly.
"I don't think it was ever supposed to be easy."
And with that—
Whatever line we had been trying not to cross…
Disappeared completely.
Because now—
There was no turning back.