Zane~
The words hung in the air between us like a living breathing thing, suffocating and scary.
"I think I'm in love with you."
I froze. My breath caught in my throat, my brain scrambling to process what I had just heard. Had she really said that? Had those words really left her lips? Natalie's heartbeat spiked, a frantic rhythm that I could hear loud and clear. She slowly lifted her head from my chest, her eyes hesitant, unsure. Then, as if suddenly realizing what she had done, she lowered her gaze to her hands, clasped tightly in her lap.
She slid off my lap, placing distance between us, but I still couldn't take my eyes off her. My mind raced, trying to make sense of what had just happened, trying to figure out how I was supposed to respond.
Natalie sat stiffly, her body trembling slightly before she forced herself to still, as if bracing for something. She barely managed to part her lips to speak—"Sir, I…"—when I suddenly stood up, my movements jerky and uncoordinated.
