haley watched lucas from across the room, noting the way he sat a little further from her than usual, the way his eyes didnโt meet hers quite as readily. it wasnโt like him to pull away, at least not this deliberately. there had been a change in him over the past few days, something she couldnโt quite put her finger on, but she could feel it in the spaces between their conversations, in the moments when he didnโt say anything, but she could see that he was thinking. she wasnโt blind โ she could sense the way he was trying to pretend it wasnโt bothering him, trying to bury whatever it was that had started to fester between them. she didnโt say anything at first, though. sometimes, the best way to approach it was to wait. to see if heโd come to her in his own time, if heโd be ready to say what was really on his mind. but she knew better than to believe heโd ever say it directly. @faeful didnโt operate that way. he never had.
she set her book down with a soft exhale, deciding the silence was stretching just a bit too far. โ youโve been quiet, โ she said, her voice even but not cold. it was a simple observation, but the way it came out made it feel like more than that. it felt like an invitation, a chance for him to admit whatever it was that had been eating at him. he didnโt respond immediately, of course. he never did when it came to the important stuff. but haley didnโt let it drop. she never did when it came to lucas, not when she knew he was holding something back. โ youโve been distant, โ she added, her eyes meeting his, steady and calm, unwilling to let him hide behind his silence any longer. โ i donโt know whatโs going on, but i can tell somethingโs bothering you. and itโs not like you to hide it, lucas. โ she paused, letting the words settle between them. it wasnโt about pushing him to say something he wasnโt ready to. it was about making sure he knew she wasnโt blind to the shift. he didnโt have to speak, but that didnโt mean she couldnโt acknowledge the change. โ iโm not asking you to talk about it if youโre not ready, โ she said, softer now, more careful. โ but you donโt have to shut me out either. we've always been able to talk about stuff, you know. โ