"I want to go to my home," elena said suddenly.
The words fell from her lips so quietly, so flatly, that for a second, he thought he imagined it.
He turned to look at her, confused.
She didn't meet his eyes.
Her face was blank—expressionless.
No tears, no tremble in her voice, nothing.
But that was the scariest part.
Because Kalix knew.
She was scared.
Terrified, even.
But she wouldn't let anyone see that.
Not him. Not the world. Not anymore.
Because if she did… they'd call her weak again.
They always had.
Every time she broke, every time she needed someone, every time she leaned on another—
they labeled her fragile. Needy. Dependent.
And she hated that.
She hated the way they looked at her.
Like a burden. Like a mess.
So when she lost everything…
everyone…
she made a promise to herself:
Never again.
Never again would she rely on anyone.
Never again would she show her pain.
Never again would she fall apart in front of someone.
But tonight… she did.
She let it slip.
That moment in the street…
when she broke down and let him hold her…
when she leaned on him, even for just a second—
It scared the hell out of her.
Because she let someone see the part of her she swore she'd never reveal again.
The weak part. The hurting part.
The part that still screamed in silence when no one was around.
And now, she was desperate to shove it all back inside.
To cover it. Erase it.
So she said, "I want to go home."
As if that would make it all disappear.
Kalix looked at her, unsure of what to say.
But deep down, he understood.
She wasn't pushing him away because she didn't trust him.
She was doing it because she did.
And that's what scared her the most.