If this had happened before, I would've sworn Yael was being a creep.
But after spending time with him, I understood his strange corners better. When he said "love," he didn't mean romance the way other men did. It sounded more like hunger for warmth. Like someone asking to be chosen, even for a second.
For the sake of my plan, I nodded.
"Elena," he whispered, eyes wide. "You're so kind."
His face lit up instantly, bright and startled, like a child seeing fireworks for the first time on a pitch-black night.
We sat like that for a while, the valley quiet around us. The air was cold enough to sting, but his body heat pressed close, steady and heavy.
Then I typed on my phone: I'm tired. I want to rest now.
Only then did he loosen his hold.
My legs had gone numb. When I stood, my knees buckled and I almost fell.
Yael reached out fast and steadied me. "Elena, be careful."
He paused, then squatted in front of me like it was the most natural thing in the world.
