Delia Yonce and her magical curl

Desire to escape to A Home at The End of The World

"No, what are you saying? I always need you," Delia said quickly, smiling at Jordan to hide her worries. "I'm just busy, trying to get my projects sorted out. It's taking longer than I thought."

"Projects?" his voice was tinged with disbelief. "You couldn't just say you had work, could you? I've seen you change, become tense somehow. Is there something wrong with your projects? Are you sure everything is okay?"

She paused and looked into his eyes. She saw genuine concern in them, and it fueled her desire to protect him from anything that might frighten him.

"Jordan, honestly, it's okay," she said, trying to sound confident. "I just... Sometimes I have a lot on my mind, and it can seem weird. I need some time to process everything."

"You're not alone," he said, disbelieving. "We always talked to each other about our problems. If something is bothering you, you can tell me. It's important!"

"I know, and I really appreciate it," she replied, feeling her heart clench with guilt. "But it's just... I don't want to worry you. There are things I can handle myself."

They walked back to Jordan's apartment. Delia took off her shoes and stepped into the familiar surroundings, cozy, filled with soft light and the smell of freshly brewed coffee. But instead of warmth, she felt a growing sense of unease.

"You can't just walk away from this," Jordan began as they sat down on the couch.

He looked determined and a little upset.

"I want to know what's going on with you. I can see how you've changed."

"Jordan, I told you," Delia replied, trying to keep her voice calm. "I've got a lot going on. I'm just a little tired. It's not that bad."

He leaned closer, his eyes sparkling with concern.

"You always evade answers. If you had any real problems, you would tell me! Why won't you share with me? I'm not the enemy."

"I'm not hiding anything important from you," Delia objected, although deep down she knew that was not entirely true. "I just have my own personal affairs, and I don't want to bother you."

"Don't bother? Delia, I'm your boyfriend! We should talk to each other. I want to help you, not watch you suffer alone!" his voice was full of passion and resentment.

Delia clenched her hands into fists, trying to contain her emotions.

"You don't understand. I can't just go and tell you everything! It's... It's too complicated."

"Complicated? You think I can't handle the difficulties? I'm here to support you, and you don't even want to let me do it!"

She sighed, trying to find words that would not hurt him.

"It's not that you can't help. It's just that some things are better left in the past. I don't want you to worry."

"You think hiding the truth is protecting me? You're really pushing me away!" his voice was quieter, but no less insistent.

Delia felt tears welling up in her eyes, but she quickly pushed them away, not wanting to show vulnerability.

"Jordan, please understand. I can handle this on my own. I need time to figure this out. I'm just not ready to open up."

He paused for a moment, his expression changing from anger to deep sadness.

"I don't want to lose you, Delia. But I can't help you if you don't let me know what's going on. I can't stay in the dark."

It was as if she realized in that moment that dragging out this secret was only making their rift worse.

"I... I'll try to be more open," she finally said, although inside she still felt like the truth would only make things worse.