Chapter Twenty-One: Between Shadows and Light

Emma's POV

At that moment, seeing the vulnerability in Nicholas’s eyes broke my heart. His confession hung in the air, heavy and raw, and all I wanted was to take his pain away. Without thinking, I knelt down in front of him, placing my hands gently on his legs. “Nicholas,” I whispered, hoping my words would pierce through his torment. “You're not alone. You don’t have to do this alone.”

He looked away from me, his jaw clenched tightly, the muscles in his neck taut with the effort of keeping his emotions in check. I could feel the heat radiating off him as I reached up to touch his cheek. His skin was warm, almost feverishly so.

"Nicholas, are you feeling okay?" I asked, concern lacing my voice.

“Fine,” he replied bluntly, but the word sounded hollow, a futile attempt to mask whatever was truly going on inside him.

Gently, I brought his face back to mine, forcing him to look into my eyes. “I need you to tell me the truth. Are you feeling okay?”

His eyes darted away again, and I could