Amara’s resolve crumbled at Darius’s words, and she broke down, tears streaming down her face as she let out a sob she had been holding in for far too long. “I don’t know how to make it stop,” she whispered, her voice breaking with raw emotion. “I don’t know how to escape it. I feel like it’s always there, just waiting to pull me back.”
Darius held her tighter, his hand cupping the back of her head as he pressed his lips to her temple. “You’re not alone,” he murmured. “You don’t have to face it by yourself. I’m here, Amara. I’m not going anywhere.”
His words broke through the walls she had built around herself, and she clung to him even harder, her sobs wracking her body as she finally let herself feel the weight of her fear and guilt. “I’m so scared,” she whispered again, her voice bare
