conrad leans against the railing, watching @everdawn fidget with her hands. heās been holding in this storm of words for too long, and seeing her like this. nervous, distracted, so unaware of how much he feels. it makes it impossible to stay silent. every instinct in him screams to step forward, to tell her, to bridge the distance, but heās careful, measured, trying not to overwhelm her. his chest tightens, and he swallows hard, letting himself finally speak. ā belly⦠i canāt keep pretending like this doesnāt matter, ā he says, voice low. he runs a hand through his hair, pacing just a step closer. ā seeing you with⦠anyone else, or even just happy without me⦠itās harder than i can explain. ā he pauses, his gaze catching hers, searching for any hint of understanding.