~~~~~~♤♤~~~~~
After he told me the truth…
everything changed.
But not the way I expected.
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I thought I would run.
I thought I would stay away.
I thought fear would win.
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But instead…
I kept coming back.
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That was the part I didn't understand about myself.
Even knowing what he was…
even knowing what he could do…
I still wanted to see him.
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That night, I met him again.
Same place.
Same silence.
Different energy.
---
He looked at me longer than usual.
Like he was checking something.
Like he was making sure I was real.
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"You shouldn't be here," Adrian said immediately.
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I sighed softly.
"You always say that."
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"This time I mean it more," he replied.
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That made me pause.
---
Something about his tone felt different.
Tighter.
Controlled.
---
"What's wrong?" I asked.
---
He didn't answer right away.
Instead, he looked away like he was fighting something inside him.
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That's when I noticed it.
His breathing.
Slightly uneven.
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"You're not okay," I said quietly.
---
His jaw tightened.
"I'm fine."
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But he wasn't convincing anyone.
Not even himself.
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I stepped closer before I could stop myself.
"Adrian…"
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That's when he moved.
Fast.
Too fast.
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In a second, he was in front of me.
Closer than before.
Too close.
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I froze.
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His eyes weren't calm anymore.
There was something behind them now.
Something sharper.
Hunger.
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"Don't come closer," he said lowly.
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"Why?" I whispered.
---
His voice dropped even more.
"Because I'm not in control right now."
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My heart stopped for a second.
---
The air between us felt heavier.
Stronger.
Like something invisible was pulling us together.
---
I should have stepped back.
I should have listened.
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But I didn't.
---
Instead, I looked up at him and said softly:
"I trust you."
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That was the worst thing I could have said.
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Because his eyes changed instantly.
Not just hunger now.
Something deeper.
Something breaking.
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"I don't trust myself," he admitted.
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Silence.
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And then his hand moved—slowly—stopping just before touching me.
Like he was fighting every instinct he had.
---
"I can hear it," he said quietly.
---
"What?" I asked.
---
He closed his eyes for a moment.
Then opened them again, darker.
---
"Your heartbeat."
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My breath caught instantly.
---
"It's too loud," he continued.
"And it makes everything worse."
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I didn't move.
Didn't speak.
Didn't breathe properly.
---
For the first time…
I realized the danger wasn't far away anymore.
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It was right in front of me.
And it was trying not to hurt me.
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That scared me more than anything else.