She had also grown used to their sessions. Over the past few days, she had found herself yearning for that closeness... wondering when she would see him again.
And then there was Elara.
She was jealous of her.
"And if I said that I am afraid?" she asked. The words were barely above a whisper. "Afraid of what this will do to everything outside this room."
"Then we will be afraid together," Julian answered. "And we will still choose."
The space between them had grown very small.
Olivia's breath remained uneven. She lifted one hand, hesitated, then let her fingers rest lightly against the front of his robe.
"I should tell you to leave," she said.
"I know."
"I should remind you of every reason this cannot exist."
"I know that too."
Her fingers curled slightly into the fabric. The last of her carefully maintained distance frayed under the weight of everything already spoken and everything still left unsaid. When she spoke again, the words carried no more arguments.
