Amara didn't sleep well.
Her mind wouldn't rest. Even though Daniel was beside her, she kept thinking something would go wrong.
Daniel was asleep next to her. His arm was loosely around her waist. He wasn't holding her tight. He wasn't forcing closeness. He was just there.
Amara stared at the ceiling. She felt calm, but she didn't fully trust the calm.
She had been hurt before. Calm never lasted long for her.
Daniel opened his eyes and looked at her.
"You're awake," he said.
Amara nodded. "Yeah."
He studied her face for a moment.
"You didn't sleep," he said.
"I did… a little," Amara replied.
Daniel didn't argue with her. He didn't push. He just spoke softly.
"You don't have to pretend you're okay with me," he said.
That made Amara's chest feel tight.
People always expected her to be strong. People always expected her to act fine. Hearing someone say she didn't have to do that felt strange.
Amara looked away.
"I'm not pretending," she said.
But she didn't sound sure.
Daniel waited.
Amara took a deep breath. She was tired of holding everything in.
"I keep thinking something will mess this up, again" she said.
Daniel's face changed. He looked serious.
"Why?" he asked.
Amara didn't answer right away. She didn't want to sound dramatic. She didn't want to sound broken.
But she needed to be honest.
"Because things don't stay good," she said. "Not for me."
Daniel stayed quiet and listened.
Amara swallowed.
"I'm scared to trust you," she admitted. "Not because I think you're lying… but because trusting you means I'll stop protecting myself."
Daniel nodded slowly.
"You protect yourself by expecting the worst," he said.
"Yes," Amara replied. "Because it hurts less."
Daniel shook his head gently.
"No," he said. "It doesn't hurt less. It just hurts sooner."
That hit her.
Amara went quiet.
She knew it was true. She had been doing that her whole life—waiting for pain before pain even arrived.
Daniel reached over and kissed her shoulder lightly.
"I'm not asking you to trust me overnight," he said. "I'm asking you to let me earn it again."
Amara turned to look at him.
She wanted to believe him. She really did.
But trust wasn't simple. Trust was scary.
Then she remembered the phone call.
"Your brother called," she said. "What did he want?"
Daniel's jaw tightened.
"He wanted to talk about the past," Daniel said.
Amara sat up slightly. "About us?"
Daniel nodded.
"He thinks I'm repeating my mistake," Daniel said. "He thinks I'm doing the same thing again."
Amara felt her stomach drop.
"With me?"
"Yes," Daniel answered.
Amara's heart started beating faster. That old fear returned. The fear that told her to leave first, before she got left.
Daniel noticed her change right away.
"Amara," he said gently. "Look at me."
Amara hesitated, but she looked.
Daniel's eyes were steady.
"He's wrong," Daniel said.
Amara didn't speak. She didn't know what to feel.
Daniel took a slow breath.
"I didn't fight him the way I wanted to," Daniel admitted. "Because I needed to be sure first."
Amara frowned. "Sure of what?"
Daniel looked serious.
"Sure that I'm not here because of guilt," he said. "Sure I'm not running back because I feel lonely. Sure that this is real."
Amara's throat tightened.
"And what did you tell him?" she asked.
Daniel answered immediately.
"I told him I hurt you," Daniel said. "I told him you didn't deserve it. I told him you were right to walk away."
Amara blinked fast because she felt tears coming.
"I told him I don't get to erase that," Daniel continued. "But if you give me another chance, I'll do it right this time."
Amara stared at him.
For the first time, his words didn't feel like sweet talk.
They felt like responsibility.
Amara looked down at her hands.
"I don't know how to do this," she admitted. "I don't know how to trust you again."
Daniel moved slowly. He reached for her hand like he was giving her a choice.
Amara didn't pull away.
Daniel held her hand softly.
"We don't rush," he said. "We don't pretend. We just take it day by day."
Amara nodded.
Then she kissed him.
It wasn't perfect. It wasn't dramatic.
It was simple.
Daniel kissed her back carefully. He didn't push. He didn't try to take more than she was ready to give.
When they pulled apart, Amara rested her forehead on his.
"I hate how much I want this," she whispered.
Daniel gave a small smile.
"That's not a bad thing," he said.
Amara looked at him. "It feels like one."
"It feels scary because it matters," he said. "That doesn't mean it's wrong."
Amara didn't reply.
She started crying.
She didn't want to. It just happened.
Daniel wiped her tears with his thumb.
"You don't have to be strong with me," he said.
That broke her.
Amara grabbed his shirt and leaned into him. She held him like she needed to breathe through him.
Daniel held her back.
"I'm scared," Amara whispered.
"I know," Daniel said.
"You can still hurt me," she said.
Daniel didn't lie.
"I can," he said quietly. "But I won't do it carelessly again."
Amara closed her eyes.
She stayed in his arms for a long moment.
The fear didn't disappear.
But for the first time, she didn't let fear control her.
She pulled back slowly.
Daniel looked at her like he meant it when he said he wanted her.
"Stay today," he said.
He wasn't begging.
He was just asking.
Amara nodded.
"Okay," she said.
Daniel kissed her again.
Soft. Slow.
And for the first time in a long time, Amara didn't feel like she was waiting for the moment it would fall apart.
She felt like she was finally giving herself permission to try.