The fire had burned down to embers, casting the room in a soft, amber glow that seemed to hold its breath. The shadows danced on the stone walls, stretching and shrinking with each pulse of the dying light. The silence hung heavily, thick with the weight of everything spoken and everything left unspoken. The windows had darkened, the deep blue of evening giving way to the black of night, and the first stars were appearing in the sky outside.
Kaelen sat beside Rosalind on the window seat, his hand still holding hers, his thumb tracing absent circles on her skin. They had been sitting like this for hours, not speaking, simply being. The first step had been taken, but the journey was far from over. The question still lingered in the air between them, unanswered, unresolved, a presence in the room as real as the fire and the shadows.
"Why didn't you trust me?"
