Alina blinked and looked up at him, as if surfacing from deep water.
"Dee..." she said softly, biting her lip.
Something in her tone made him step closer immediately. He moved around the couch, his presence warm and steady, and sat beside her without waiting for an invitation. The couch dipped under his weight, bringing him close enough that she could feel the warmth radiating from him.
He reached for her hands, pulling them away from the cold cup, his grip warm and grounding around her fingers.
"What's wrong?" he asked again, more serious this time. His eyes searched her face, reading the worry written there, the fear she was trying to hide. "Tell me."
She hesitated.
Her mouth opened, then closed. Her hands trembled slightly in his grasp.
Then the words came out, all tangled with worry, spilling over each other in a rush.
