I stayed where I was for a moment, watching her struggle against the silence she had created herself. Her lips parted once, then closed again, like every explanation she tried to reach disappeared before it could become words. And somehow, that made everything worse. If there was really nothing between her and Elliot, why did she look so nervous? Why couldn't she simply deny it and move on? My jaw tightened slightly as I looked away for a second, trying to calm the irritation slowly building under my skin. I hated how much I cared already. Hated that Elliot's name alone had been enough to ruin whatever had almost happened between us. Deep down, I had always noticed something strange between the two of them—the lingering looks, the tension that felt too sharp to be innocent—but I never allowed myself to think too much about it. Maybe because Elliot was my friend. We had known each other since seventh grade. We had been through too much together for me to imagine he would hide something like that from me. But now, sitting there in that kitchen with Anna unable to even look me in the eye properly, I started doubting everything. The thought irritated me more than it should have. Because the truth was, none of this was supposed to matter to me. Anna and I were just… whatever this was. Friends, maybe. Something dangerously close to becoming more. But not enough for me to have the right to feel jealous. At least that was what I kept telling myself. The problem was that my chest didn't seem to agree. Seeing Elliot's name on her phone had done something ugly to me, something immediate and possessive that I didn't want to examine too closely. And the worst part? I couldn't even ask her directly without exposing myself. Without showing her that I cared more than I was supposed to. Because if Anna realized how badly she affected me, I wasn't sure I'd still have control over this anymore. Over myself. So instead, I forced my expression back into something calmer, colder, unreadable. I leaned back slightly against the counter and let out a quiet breath, pretending I wasn't bothered even though my thoughts were a complete mess. Maybe leaving was the smartest thing to do. Before I said something I couldn't take back. Before I let jealousy make decisions for me. Before I forgot that I was still with Mary, and before Anna looked at me again the way she had a few minutes ago—like she wanted me just as much as I wanted her. That almost kiss already felt too dangerous. Staying longer would only make it worse.
As soon as I pushed myself up from the floor, the air between us shifted again. It felt colder now, awkward in a way it hadn't been before. I slipped my hands into my pockets, mostly to stop myself from reaching for her again, and took a small step back. "So, I see you've got a lot to take care of," I said lightly, forcing the words out smoother than I actually felt. "I should probably go." The second the sentence left my mouth, I saw something flash across her face—panic maybe, or disappointment. She stood up too quickly, almost stumbling a little before catching herself against the counter. "Look," she started immediately, her voice rushing ahead of her thoughts, "he's my sister's boyfriend. There can't be anything between us besides… besides…" She stopped abruptly, like the rest of the sentence had frightened her before it could fully exist. My eyes stayed on her quietly while she looked everywhere except at me. I could practically see the war happening inside her head. And somehow that only made me more frustrated. Because people who had nothing to hide didn't struggle this hard to explain themselves. I nodded once, slowly, pretending indifference even though every nerve in my body was paying attention to her. I turned slightly toward the stairs, trying to hold onto the little self-control I still had left, but before I could take another step, her voice came again, softer this time but more certain. "The point is… there's nothing going on between me and Elliot." She swallowed before continuing. "Not now. Not ever." The words settled heavily between us. For a second, neither of us moved. I kept my back half turned to her, staring at the dark window ahead of me while my chest tightened in the most ridiculous way. Because the relief that hit me hearing her say that was immediate. Dangerous too. I hated how easily she could affect me without even trying. Slowly, I looked back at her. She was standing there with her arms crossed tightly over herself now, almost like she regretted saying too much. Her eyes finally met mine fully, and I noticed how exhausted she looked underneath everything else—underneath the attitude, the sarcasm, the confusion. She looked vulnerable. Real. And somehow that was worse than if she had lied to me. Because I could handle lies. What I couldn't handle was the growing feeling that Anna was becoming something important to me before I even realized it was happening. I let out a quiet breath and looked away for a second, trying to clear my head. Elliot's name still bothered me more than I wanted to admit, but hearing her deny it so quickly had done something dangerous to my thoughts. It made me wonder things I shouldn't be wondering. Things that would ruin everything if I let them go too far. And the worst part was that I knew she felt it too. I had seen it in the way she looked at me before her phone interrupted us. In the way she stopped breathing when I leaned closer. In the way neither of us had moved away until reality forced us apart. The tension was still there now, lingering quietly in the small kitchen, wrapping itself around every silence between us. And suddenly leaving didn't seem as easy as it had a minute ago.
I turned back toward her slowly, my thoughts still tangled somewhere between relief and frustration. She hadn't moved from where she was standing near the counter, her fingers nervously playing with the sleeve of her hoodie while she watched me carefully, like she was waiting for my reaction and trying not to show it at the same time. The kitchen suddenly felt smaller than before, too quiet, too warm, filled with all the things neither of us knew how to say properly. I walked toward her again without thinking too much about it, stopping close enough to notice the way her breathing changed the second I did. Her eyes lifted to mine slowly, uncertain but not pulling away. God, she looked dangerous like that. Soft. Honest. Too hard to resist. I lowered my head slightly until we were almost at the same level, and for a second I just looked at her face quietly, memorizing every little expression she tried to hide from me. Then my hand lifted on its own, my fingers brushing gently against the side of her face before sliding behind her ear. Her skin was warm under my touch, and the moment she shivered lightly, I had to force myself not to smile. "So?" I murmured softly, tracing the curve behind her ear with my thumb. "It's none of my business anyway." The words sounded casual, detached even, but we both knew they were a lie. If it truly wasn't my business, I wouldn't still be standing there looking at her like this. I wouldn't still be trying to figure out what she felt for me every time she breathed too close. For a second, neither of us moved again. Her lips parted slightly like she wanted to respond, but no words came out this time either. And honestly, that silence affected me more than any answer could have. Because I could feel it now—that pull between us had stopped being one-sided a long time ago. I let out a quiet breath and forced myself to step back before I completely forgot every reason I had for staying away from this. From her. "Thanks for the tea," I said finally, my voice lighter now, teasing just enough to break the intensity building again. "And for the therapy session too." A faint smile pulled at the corner of my lips despite myself. "You're kinda cute when you cry, you know that?" She immediately frowned at me, offended in the exact way I expected, and somehow that made the tightness in my chest ease for the first time since Elliot's message interrupted us. But the second his name crossed my mind again, the irritation returned quietly underneath everything else. I slipped my hands back into my pockets before I did something stupid and tilted my head slightly toward her phone still lying on the counter. "You should probably call your man back," I added casually, even though the words tasted bitter the second they left my mouth. Her eyes widened instantly. "Rafael—" "Relax," I cut in before she could argue again, forcing out a small laugh that didn't fully feel real. "Or I'll start thinking you gave yourself to me tonight instead." The air shifted again after that sentence, heavier this time. Her lips parted slightly, her cheeks warming just enough for me to notice, and suddenly the image of what almost happened between us flashed through my head all over again. Too close. Way too close. I looked away before temptation could make me reckless again. Then I glanced back at her one last time, my jaw tightening slightly despite the smirk I forced onto my face. "Elliot better watch his back though," I said quietly. And this time, there was nothing playful about my tone at all.