Chapter 11: The Dangerous Hope
Hope is a dangerous thing.
It makes you forget reality.
Makes you imagine impossible futures.
Like this—
Standing too close.
Breathing the same air.
Almost—
Almost—
Justin's hand lifts to her face.
Hesitates.
She closes the distance.
Just barely.
Their lips brush.
Soft.
Tentative.
A question.
The bond ignites.
Warm. Bright. Alive.
For one perfect, fleeting moment—
Everything feels right.
Then she pulls away.
Horrified.
"I can't," she says, backing up. "I can't do this."
Justin's chest rises and falls sharply.
"Why?"
"Because it's real," she whispers.
And real things don't survive in her world.