Chapter 62 - This feels right

I hesitate for a moment, feeling the weight of what I’m about to do. I’ve never been one for comfort, for reaching out to someone when they’re hurting. But there’s something about the way Celeste looks right now, so vulnerable, that makes me want to be different—just this once.

My footsteps are slow, careful. I’m not even sure how to do this, how to give someone the kind of comfort they need without crossing a line. I’ve never been that guy—the one who can just hold someone and make things better. But I want to try.

When I reach her, I see her flinch, just barely, like she doesn’t know what to expect from me. Maybe she’s bracing herself for something worse, and that thought stings more than anything she’s said to me tonight. But I can’t blame her. She doesn't know me. I have to earn her trust. My reputation alone is a no go zone.

Still, I push past that. I’ve already come this far. What’s a little more?

My arms move on their own, like they’ve forgotten wh