There she stayed. In the space separating Daniel from Jayce. Their eyes locked on her, twin mirrors of pain, then rage, then the quiet collapse of trust. One breath passed.
Neither moved.
One paused, then the other, each held still by a question without reply.
I - words refused to leave my lips. Silence sat heavy in the air.
Not yet steady, his words cut through. Choose, Daniel said. Not loud, just sharp. Different from how he sounded before, back when labs and data filled our talks. Now it's me. Or him. Right here. Right now.
"I can't - "
"You can," Jayce said. "You have to. We're not leaving until you do."
Down I sank onto the cushions, heavy. My legs wouldn't hold me any longer. Right here - this is where I pressed lips to his, once. Another time, hers. Not together. Never at once. Just moments split by silence.
God What Had I Done?
"I never meant for this to happen," I said. My voice was shaking. Tears streaming down my face. "I never meant to hurt either of you."
