The moment stretched longer than it should have, as if time itself had slowed inside that office, trapping Zein Shoin and Ace Craige in something neither of them could ignore anymore, because what had once been distance had now turned into something dangerously close—not in space, but in awareness.
Zein could feel it in the way her thoughts refused to settle, in the way her control slipped every time he spoke, every time he looked at her like he was waiting for something she hadn't yet said, something she wasn't sure she was ready to say, and yet, despite all of that, she didn't step back, didn't create distance, didn't rebuild the walls she had always relied on, because somewhere between resisting and admitting, she had reached a point where leaving wasn't even an option anymore.
"You're thinking again," he said.
"I always think," she said.
"Not like this," he said.
"You keep repeating that," she said.
"Because you keep proving it," he replied.
Zein exhaled softly.
"…this isn't normal," she said.
"It wasn't supposed to be," he said.
"That's not reassuring," she said.
"It's not meant to be," he replied.
Zein looked at him.
"…you're too calm," she said.
"And you're not," he said.
"That's because you're making this complicated," she said.
"No," he said, "I'm making it clear."
Zein frowned.
"This isn't clear," she said.
"It is," he replied.
"Then explain it," she said.
Ace stepped slightly closer.
"You're not stepping back," he said.
"That doesn't mean anything," she said.
"It means everything," he said.
Zein shook her head.
"…you keep saying that," she said.
"And you keep proving it," he replied.
Zein's breath slowed.
"…I could still leave," she said.
"Then do it," he said.
Zein didn't move.
"…you know I won't," she said.
"I do," he replied.
"…stop saying that," she said.
"Stop confirming it," he said.
Zein looked away briefly.
"…this is frustrating," she said.
"I know," he said.
"Then why aren't you stopping?" she asked.
"Because you're not asking me to," he said.
Zein froze slightly.
"…I just did," she said.
"No," he said, "you didn't mean it."
Zein's voice lowered.
"…how do you know that?" she asked.
Ace didn't hesitate.
"Because you're still here," he said.
Zein didn't respond.
"…this is exactly why I avoid things," she said.
"And yet you didn't avoid this," he said.
Zein sighed softly.
"…I tried," she admitted.
"I know," he said.
"…and it didn't work," she said.
"No," he said.
A pause followed.
"…what do you want from me?" she asked quietly.
Ace held her gaze.
"Nothing you're not already giving," he said.
Zein frowned slightly.
"That doesn't make sense," she said.
"It will," he replied.
"…when?" she asked.
Ace's voice lowered.
"When you stop questioning it," he said.
Zein's breath slowed again.
"…and if I don't?" she asked.
Ace didn't move.
"You will," he said.
Zein looked at him—
And for once—
She didn't argue.