Annabel's POV
I thought that moment behind the building that kiss, that closeness, was the peak. The big reveal. The everything. But apparently, Justin wasn’t done.
We were still standing there, his arms wrapped loosely around my waist, my hands resting against his chest, when he pulled back just enough to look at me properly. His eyes were steady, almost serious, but not in a scary way. Just… focused. Like he had something he needed to say and wasn’t about to run from it.
“Can I tell you something?” he asked, voice low.
My stomach flipped, but I nodded. “Yeah. Of course.” I whispered back to him. He exhaled slowly, like he was working up to it. His fingers skimmed up my sides, almost absentmindedly, before settling on my hips.
“I liked you,” he said. “From the beginning. Before the
