The Way He Stays

Seraphina’s POV I didn’t realize how much I was shaking… until everything went quiet. Too quiet. The forest. The air. My thoughts. It all felt distant—like I was still standing there, caught between them, even though Kael was gone. But the feeling he left behind… It wasn’t. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to steady the trembling in my hands. Why does it still affect me like this? I hated it. Hated that he could still make my chest tighten… still make my heart react… even after everything. “Seraphina.” Rowan’s voice was softer now. Closer. I turned slightly. He was standing just a few steps away—watching me, not with pressure… not with expectation… But with something quieter. Something steady. “I’m fine,” I said quickly. Too quickly. Because the moment the words left my mouth— My voice betrayed me. It cracked. Just a little. But enough. Rowan didn’t call me out on it. Didn’t argue. He just stepped closer. Slowly. Carefully. Like approaching something fragile. “You don’t have to be,” he said. And that— That broke something inside me. Not in a painful way. But in a way that made everything I had been holding in suddenly feel… too heavy. My breath trembled. “I thought I was over it,” I admitted quietly. “I thought I didn’t care anymore.” Rowan didn’t interrupt. Didn’t try to fix it. He just listened. “I hate that I still feel something,” I continued, my voice shaking now. “Even after everything he did… a part of me still reacts. And I don’t understand why.” My chest tightened as the words spilled out. Honest. Messy. Real. “I don’t want that,” I whispered. Silence followed. But it wasn’t empty. It felt… safe. Rowan stepped closer again. Close enough now that I could feel his presence clearly. Grounding. Steady. “You’re not weak for feeling that,” he said. I shook my head immediately. “It feels like I am.” “It’s not.” His voice was firm this time. Certain. “It means what you had was real,” he continued. “Even if he didn’t treat it that way.” My breath caught. The words settled deep. Not dismissing my feelings. Not judging them. Just… understanding. And somehow— That hurt less. I looked up at him slowly. “Why are you like this?” I asked softly. His brows furrowed slightly. “Like what?” “So…” I hesitated, searching for the right word. “Patient.” The corner of his mouth shifted faintly—not quite a smile. “Because you need it,” he said simply. My heart tightened. That answer… It wasn’t complicated. It wasn’t dramatic. It was just… true. And that made it even more dangerous. Because I could feel myself leaning toward it. Toward him. Without even realizing. “I don’t know what I’m doing,” I admitted. “I know,” he said. No judgment. No pressure. Just acceptance. A soft breeze passed between us, brushing against my skin—but it didn’t break the moment. Nothing did. We stood there. Close. Quiet. Real. My gaze dropped briefly—to his chest… then back to his eyes. And for a second— I felt it again. That pull. Not like before. Not confusing. Not painful. But something slower. Something growing. Something I wasn’t ready to name. Rowan’s gaze softened slightly. Like he felt it too. His hand lifted— Just slightly. Like he was about to reach for me. My breath caught. Time slowed. This time… It felt different. Not rushed. Not overwhelming. Just… right. But then— He stopped. His hand lowering again. Control. Always control. “You should rest,” he said quietly. The words were gentle. But the distance returned with them. And somehow… I missed the closeness already. I nodded slowly. “Okay.” Neither of us moved immediately. Like we both felt it. That unfinished moment. That almost. And maybe… That was enough. For now.