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I don’t want her to scream. I don’t want her scared of me. But I can’t undo what I’ve already done.

I hold my hands up, trying to calm her. “I’m not here to hurt you,” I say, my voice low, barely above a whisper.

She scoots back against the wall, eyes wide, ready to run. “Leave,” she demands, her voice sharp.

“I’m not going anywhere, Sie,” I say. There’s no way I’m leaving without talking to her. Without making sure she’s okay.

She’s breathing hard, her body tense. But I don’t back off. I climb into bed beside her, my hands on her shoulders as I pull her towards me. “Calm down,” I murmur, my voice rough. “I’m not gonna hurt you.”

She turns her face away from me, but I won’t let her pull away. I spin her gently, wrapping my arms around her. It’s almost like everything stops for a second. Like the world outside doesn’t matter. I can feel her heartbeat against mine, her breath steadying. I don’t know who falls asleep first, but we do. I don’teven know what this is, what I’m doing, but I know I don’t want to let her go.

I wake up to sunlight streaming through the blinds, warming the room and casting a soft glow over her. She’s still asleep, curled up next to me. For a second, everything feels calm. Her breathing is soft, steady. Her hair falls across her face, and I want to brush it away. She looks so peaceful, like last night never happened.

But it did.

I shift closer, barely breathing, just watching her. She’s wearing a loose tank top and shorts, her legs tucked under the comforter. There’s something about seeing her like this, so vulnerable, so beautiful, it messes with my head. I reach out, hesitating for a second, then cup her cheek. Her skin’s warm under my hand. She shifts slightly, her lips parting in her sleep.

My thumb brushes over her bottom lip, and she lets out a soft breath. Jesus, she doesn’t even know what she’s doing to me, lying there all innocent. My fingers trail down her arm, slow and careful, like she might shatter if I’m too rough. Then she stirs, her body moving slightly under my touch. My chest tightens, and I pull my hand back, but my eyes don’t leave her.

Her tank top rides up a little, showing more of her stomach. My mind’s racing, thoughts I shouldn’t have pounding in my head. I lean in, pressing a kiss to the back of her neck. She smells like lavender and something sweeter.

Downstairs, I hear footsteps, the faint sound of her dad shuffling around. My jaw tightens. If he knew I was here, I’d be a dead man. Hell, I probably deserve it after last night. The thought twists in my gut, but I can’t bring myself to leave.

I lean closer, my lips brushing against her ear. “Sienna,” I whisper, voice low. She stirs again, her lashes fluttering. Then her eyes snap open, and the calm is gone.

Her body goes rigid, her eyes wide as she takes me in. “What the— Eli? What are you still doing here?”

“Relax,” I say quickly, holding up my hands.

“Relax?” she hisses, sitting up and yanking the comforter higher. “You broke into my house!”

“I wanted to talk.”

“Talk? Are you serious right now?” Her voice is sharp, but there’s fear behind it.

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” I say, my voice softer now. “I just... I needed to see you. After last night—”

“Don’t,” she cuts me off, shaking her head. “Don’t even bring it up.”

“Sienna, listen to me—”

“No! I don’t want to hear it, Eli. You and Caleb humiliated me. Do you have any idea how that felt?”

My throat tightens. “I know. I know we screwed up, okay? I’m sorry. I just... I couldn’t leave it like that. I needed to make sure you’re okay.”

“Okay? Do I look okay to you?”

I run a hand through my hair, frustration bubbling up. “I didn’t want it to go that far. I swear. It just—”

“Stop. Just stop.” She pulls the comforter tighter around her, like she’s trying to shield herself from me. “You should go.”

“I’m not leaving until we talk.”

“We don’t have anything to talk about.”

“Like hell we don’t,” I snap. “You think I’m just gonna walk away after—” I cut myself off, shaking my head. “I’m trying here, Sienna. I’m trying to make this right.”

“You can’t,” she says quietly, her voice breaking. “You can’t undo what happened.”