echoed around her-children splashing, neighbors chatting-but all she could feel was the tight knot forming in her chest. She stood near the edge o

t-the sharp shift in the air, the

her arms crossed, a smirk tugging at her lips.

ryone else, huh?" she sneered. "Always sh

Still, her heart sank. She tried to ignore Kira, shifting her weight and ta

ra wasn

irectly into Lia's path, blocking her. Her voic

hink you can just... waltz throug

g into her palms. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said quietl

uld finish, Ki

orld t

fell hard, pain exploding along her arm and leg as skin scraped harshly agains

ople near

He

ough the noise, lo

ria

efore Lia could even process what had happened. His ja

is voice low but danger

t something in Adrian's expression stopped her. She scof

before backing away, dis

go. His attention snapp

ncern written clearly acros

e fought the sting in her eyes. "I... I'm fine."

eaching out. He helped her up carefully and guided

in settled in. Adrian knelt in front of her, his brows furr

elp," he s

ought for the younger kids-and began cleaning her wounds. His touch was car

ched him

g a strange warmth through her chest. She became painfully aware of how close he was-the warm

ound them see

Adrian looked up-

ment, tim

tbeat, loud and unsteady. Adrian's gaze lingered on her face, tracing

loser without

a li

h, close enough that the world narrowed

ian pulled ba

ough his hair, his expression co

leaving her cold. "It's... okay," she whispered, t

smile, but it didn't reach his eyes

, leaving her sitting there with bandaged scrapes an

gered long afte

or shut, the quiet pressing in around him. The events of

led gasp whe

ar in h

and had brushe

lmost-

the ceiling. He told himself he had stepped in because it was

, he knew that

just protectiveness

was

h mo

o. Her laugh, soft and genuine. The way she frowned slightly when frustrated. The

han he expected. Closer

ealization

it fully-he might lose control. He might cross a l

Adrian began acting di

e. His smiles were smaller, restrained. His words shorter, more careful. He avoid

ght have looked subtle

ia not

in the way conversations ended too soon, in the

im when he wasn't looking, co

wondered quietly, the que

old himself he was do

acting on them-before risking everything. Before hurting

tension began

nt. H

growing stron

de the wall