Silence settled between us, thick as fog, heavy with everything left unsaid. It curled around my ribs, coiling tighter with each passing second, suffocating me, pressing against my lungs, and I forced myself to breathe, to push through the ache in my chest. But every inhale felt like swallowing glass shards, each one slicing deeper than the last.
"But what am I supposed to do with that?" I whispered, my voice hoarse, barely holding together. "You're marrying her. And even if you weren't, this—" I gestured between us, my hand unsteady, trembling, "—this isn't allowed. You know what they'd do to us if we tried. If they found out. And I'm not going to risk it, not again."
