Joanne leaned into Jeffrey's chest, letting the soft, rhythmic sound of his heartbeat soothe her as his hand traced slow, absent-minded circles on her back. Still, something in his body language betrayed him—his warmth was more feverish than comforting, and tension coiled in his muscles like a wire pulled too tight.
He had told her he wasn't leaving. He had said he loved her.
And yet… his touch, though gentle, was weighed down by something he hadn't yet said.
She could feel it now, pulsing beneath his skin—guilt, regret, fear… something that clawed at him from the inside out.
She remembered what he'd whispered earlier, almost too quietly for her to catch.
"I don't deserve you."
She hadn't asked what he meant—too caught up in her own emotions—but now that the storm had passed, the words echoed in her mind. What was he hiding? What burden was he carrying?
Was this about the wedding all those years ago? About the identity he still refused to reveal?
