Chapter 35: Ivy

His words have my breath hitching and my heart pounding. "I...I like you, too."

After another quiet moment, he admits, "I feel like I can actually talk to you."

"You can tell me anything. I'll keep your secrets." Saying the words out loud feels important. Necessary. I've learned things about Roan that no one else knows and I would never break that trust. No matter what happens between us. Whether we stay friends, or we become more. Or we stop talking altogether. I won't betray him. That's not who I am, and I hope he realizes that.

He angles his head and even though the room is blanketed in darkness, I know his gaze is trained on me. I feel the burning intensity of his eyes. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't know that."

Something that feels suspiciously close to happiness bursts inside me like an overinflated balloon.

His arm tightens, pulling me closer. "You know," he murmurs, "I've never done this before."

Unsure what he means by the comment, I ask, "Done what?"

"Cud