The Space Between Us

The Courage to Stay

Rebecca's POV

I blinked against the soft morning light slipping through the blinds, casting gentle patterns across the rumpled sheets, for a moment, I was disoriented, caught between sleep and wakefulness in an unfamiliar quiet

Then I felt it – a warmth that wasn't just the comforter, but a soft, steady presence beside me Emma

The events of the night before came rushing back, vivid and intense, the way we had moved together, our breaths mingling, hands exploring with a urgency I hadn't felt in years, I hadn't expected to end up here, tangled in her sheets, feeling the steady rise and fall of her chest against mine It felt surreal, like a dream I might wake from at any moment  a dream I wasn't sure I deserved

I stayed still, not wanting to wake her Emma's head rested on my shoulder, her arm draped across my stomach, holding me close even in sleep, the intimacy of it all made my heart race this feeling of closeness I had missed it more than I realized, and now that it was here, I wasn't sure what to do with it

Part of me wanted to run, to retreat behind the walls I'd so carefully built yet a larger part, a part I'd been ignoring for too long, wanted to stay right here, wrapped in Emma's warmth

I looked down at her, taking in the peaceful expression on her face. How could she sleep so easily next to me, after everything I'd put her through? I had been cold, distant, cruel even

Pushing her away at every turn, terrified of the feelings she stirred in me, she had every right to hate me, to push me away, Instead, she had let me in again. Let me hold her, touch her, share something so intimate that it made my chest ache just thinking about it

The truth was, I had been scared. Terrified, really. Scared of what Emma made me feel, scared of how much I cared when at first I had foolishly thought of it as nothing more than a game, and when those feelings had become too much, when they threatened to overwhelm me, I had pushed her away It had been easier to be distant than to confront what was really happening inside me

But now, lying here with her in the soft morning light, I couldn't run from it anymore, I couldn't keep pretending that I didn't care, that I didn't want this want her with every fiber of my being

 The realization was both liberating and terrifying I had spent so long keeping people at arm's length, never letting anyone get too close It was safer that way, or so I had thought, but Emma... Emma had somehow slipped past all my defenses, and now I found myself more vulnerable than I had ever been

I shifted slightly, careful not to wake her, but my movement caused Emma to stir, her eyes fluttered open, and for a moment, she looked disoriented then, as her gaze focused on me, a soft smile tugged at the corners of her lips

That smile, so genuine and warm, made my heart skip a beat. How could she still look at me like that, after everything?

"Morning," she murmured, her voice still heavy with sleep

"Morning," I whispered back, my heart pounding in my chest, how was she so calm, so at ease, when my mind was racing with everything I needed to say? Everything I had kept bottled up for so long?

Emma shifted closer, her body fitting against mine as if it belonged there, for a few moments, neither of us spoke, the quiet between us was comfortable, but I knew it wouldn't last there were things that needed to be said, truths that I had been avoiding for too long

 I swallowed hard, feeling the words stick in my throat I couldn't keep them inside any longer, not after last night, not after the way she had looked at me, the way she had trusted me despite everything