Ryan’s POV
We stood there for a moment longer after Shelby and Marianne disappeared, the tension still hanging thick between us. Hailey picked up the coffee again, took a small sip, then lowered it like she’d forgotten why she was holding it in the first place.
I cleared my throat. My chest felt tight, not from pain this time, but from the words pressing up, demanding to be said.
“Hailey,” I started.
She looked at me, really looked at me, those blue eyes sharp and tired at the same time. “What?”
I took a breath. Then another. I needed to say this cleanly. No excuses. No bitterness.
“I’ve accepted it,” I said. “Us.”
Her brows drew together slightly. “Accepted what?”
“That we’re just friends now,” I replied. “Living under the same roof. Nothing more.”
Her shoulders stiffened, like s
