{EMY}
The truth sat heavy in my chest, ugly and undeniable.
I had been doing that.
I'd been so afraid of dragging him into my mess that I'd never even given him the chance to choose. I'd treated him like glass—beautiful, precious, untouchable.
And in doing so, I'd pushed him away.
Ren exhaled slowly, rubbing the bridge of his nose like he was exhausted—not angry, just tired.
"You know what hurts the most?" he said quietly.
His voice wasn't angry. It wasn't even loud. That somehow made it unbearable.
"It's not that you lied," he continued. "It's not even that I found you with another man." He let out a breath that sounded tired—so tired. "It's that no matter what I do, I can't seem to escape being your idol instead of your boyfriend."
His eyelids lowered, as if the weight of that admission was finally pressing down on him, and my chest clenched painfully.
