Jaxson waited until the house went quiet.
Then he broke.
He sat on the edge of his bed, elbows on his knees, staring at the floor like it held answers he didn't deserve. His chest hurt in a way he couldn't outrun, couldn't punch through.
He loved her.
And loving her terrified him" Because love meant staying. And staying meant failing. And failing meant becoming the very thing he swore he never would.
"She deserves better than my fear," he muttered.
But fear had been his companion for too long to disappear overnight.
He pressed his palms to his face, breathing through the guilt, the want, the knowing that pushing her away had almost cost him everything."I'll try," he said into the dark.
Not confidently.
Not bravely.
Just honestly.