Chapter 31 - REJECTION

Lena still clung to me, her body a warm, comforting weight against mine. But the tears that streamed down her face, the silent, choked sobs that racked her frame, were a stark contrast to the warmth of her embrace. She didn't say anything, and the silence, thick and heavy, was killing me. I wanted her to scream, to yell, to throw something, anything, to release the pent-up emotions that were consuming her. Anything but this suffocating silence.

I felt a tightness in my chest, a constricting band around my heart. The silence was unbearable, each tick of the clock hammering at my sanity. My fingers itched to reach out, to touch her, to offer some comfort, but fear kept me rooted in place. I knew I was walking a tightrope, each step a gamble, and the last thing I wanted was to push her away for good.

"Lena," I whispered, my voice rough with desperation. "Talk to me. Say something."

She finally looked up at me, her eyes red-rimmed and swollen, reflecting the storm that raged within