One Breath Away

Seraphina’s POV I couldn’t stop thinking about him. No matter how hard I tried… no matter how much I told myself to stay calm, to stay careful… Rowan was everywhere. In the way my heart reacted when he was near. In the silence he left behind when he walked away. In the questions I didn’t know how to ask. And tonight— It felt worse. The air was cool as I stepped onto the balcony outside my room, wrapping my arms lightly around myself. The moon hung high above, casting a soft glow over everything. It should have felt peaceful. But it didn’t. Not when my thoughts refused to settle. “Couldn’t sleep?” My breath caught. I turned— And there he was. Rowan. Leaning casually against the railing as if he had been there the entire time. Watching. Waiting. My heart immediately betrayed me, beating faster than it should. “I could ask you the same thing,” I replied softly. His gaze lingered on me, steady and unreadable. “I don’t sleep much,” he said. That didn’t surprise me. He didn’t seem like someone who ever truly relaxed. Silence stretched between us again. But this time… It felt different. He stepped closer. Slowly. Deliberately. Every step making it harder for me to breathe. “You should be resting,” he said. “I tried,” I admitted. “It didn’t work.” A faint shadow of something crossed his face. Concern? Or something deeper? “You’re thinking too much,” he said. A small, humorless smile touched my lips. “That’s kind of hard to avoid right now.” His gaze softened slightly. “About him?” he asked. The question caught me off guard. Kael. Even hearing the unspoken reference made something inside me twist. I looked away. “I don’t want to talk about him.” The words came out quieter than I expected. More honest. Rowan didn’t push. Didn’t question. And somehow… that made it worse. Because he understood. Too well. “You don’t have to,” he said. I looked back at him slowly. And found him closer. Much closer. My breath hitched. When did he— I hadn’t even noticed him move. Again. That same awareness flooded through me instantly. His presence. His warmth. The way the air seemed to change whenever he was near. “You’re safe here,” he said quietly. My heart tightened. “You keep saying that,” I whispered. “Because it’s true.” His voice dropped slightly. Softer. More personal. And suddenly… It didn’t feel like he was just talking about this place. My pulse raced. I didn’t step back. I should have. But I didn’t. Instead… I stayed. Right there. With him. His eyes dropped slowly— To my lips. My breath caught. Everything went still. The world. The night. My thoughts. All of it disappeared. There was only this moment. Only him. “Seraphina…” he murmured. My name sounded different on his lips. Deeper. He took a small step closer. Close enough that I could feel his breath. Close enough that— My heart stopped. This was it. I knew it. He knew it. The space between us disappeared. And for a second— I wanted it. I wanted to forget everything. The pain. The rejection. The past. All of it. Just for this. Just for him. My eyes fluttered slightly as I leaned in— A sharp pulse hit my chest. I gasped softly, pulling back suddenly. The moment shattered. Confusion flooded me instantly. “What…?” I whispered. That feeling— Faint. But there. Like something tugging at me from far away. Rowan’s expression darkened immediately. He felt it too. “What is it?” he asked, his voice sharp now. “I—I don’t know…” My hand pressed lightly against my chest. The sensation faded as quickly as it came. Leaving nothing behind but unease. Rowan stepped back. Not slowly this time. Abrupt. Controlled. Dangerous. His jaw clenched. “You should go inside,” he said. The warmth from moments ago was gone. Replaced with something colder. More guarded. “Rowan—” “Now.” The word wasn’t harsh. But it wasn’t soft either. I froze… then nodded slowly. Something was wrong. I could feel it. Even if I didn’t understand it. I turned and stepped back inside, my heart still racing… my mind spinning. And as the door closed behind me— One thought refused to leave. That moment… Wasn’t interrupted by accident. Something—or someone— Was pulling me back.