The space between them shifted. It was subtle at first, almost unnoticeable, but it was there.
That quiet, slow-burning tenderness that had always defined them… the unspoken understanding, the way Julian would reach for her without thinking, the way Amara would lean into him without hesitation, it was slipping.
Eroded. Replaced by something colder. Something heavier. Suspicion. For the first time since the wedding, Julian didn't move toward her. He didn't reach for her trembling hands. Didn't pull her into his arms.
Didn't whisper soft reassurances or try to explain himself the way he always did, how everything he did was to protect her… how he had promised her mother… how he meant well.
Nothing. The absence of it was louder than any argument.
Amara felt it immediately.
Her chest tightened, her fingers curling slightly at her sides as she watched him really watched him this time. There was no softness in his expression now. No warmth.
