𝙄𝙙𝙞𝙤𝙩 || 𝙃𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙮 & 𝘿𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙤 𝙈𝙖𝙡𝙛𝙤𝙮

CH #9

Holly's POV:

"I don't know what to say," I replied, watching as Draco's eyes flickered with something-disappointment, maybe?-before he blinked, and the emotion disappeared behind that familiar guarded mask.

There were so many feelings swirling inside me lately, and I had no idea where to put them. They were restless and tangled, like a storm I couldn't outrun. Yes, Draco was always there, lingering in the corners of my mind. But I could never quite tell if those thoughts were comforting or unsettling, if they made me feel something good or something I should push away.

I wanted to say something, anything, to fill the silence. But I didn't trust myself to speak, not when my emotions felt so raw. Every time I tried to pin down how I felt about him, the answer slipped away, leaving me more confused than before. He frustrated me, yes-his sharp words, his impossible standards for himself, the way he always seemed to carry the world on his shoulders. But then there were the moments when his guard dropped, when he'd say something kind or look at me like I was the only person who mattered. Those moments were harder to ignore.

And now, here he was, standing in front of me, vulnerable in a way I'd never seen before. It made my chest ache in a way I didn't want to admit.

"I mean it, Holly," he said quietly, his voice rough but steady. "You don't have to say anything. Just... don't shut me out."

His words hung in the air, heavy and fragile all at once.

"I'm not trying to shut you out," I said softly, the truth spilling out before I could stop it. "I just... don't know how to let you in."

His expression softened, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of hope.

"You don't have to figure it out right now," he murmured. "Just... let me be here. That's all I'm asking."