Crossed Lines

The room hung heavy with silence, the weight of unspoken truths pressing down like the summer heat outside. Lyra’s heart thundered in her chest, every breath feeling too loud in the stillness. Across the table, Colin’s eyes gleamed with a mix of nostalgia and challenge, breaking the fragile quiet.

Then, as if picking up the thread of a story long paused, he leaned forward slightly and began.

“I