~JESSICA~
Daniel came down for breakfast like a ghost…polite, quiet, and distant.
I wanted to go upstairs and call him because he's wasting so much time upstairs till I saw him coming down.
He sat across from me at the dining table, thanked Kareem for the food, and barely said a word.
No morning kiss. No teasing smirk. Not even a brush of his fingers against mine like he always used to do.
I tried not to panic. Maybe he really was tired. Maybe he had too much on his mind.
But I watched him closely as he ate.
His eyes never met mine.
His smile never reached his eyes.
And the warmth I had grown used to in his presence had faded, replaced by a wall I couldn't see through.
“Daniel?” I asked softly.
He looked up quickly, startled, as though I'd yanked him out of some deep, dark thought.
“Yes?”
“You're quiet. Is everything okay?” I asked.
He hesitated for a moment too long.
“I'm fine,” he replied, his voice calm, guarded.
“You sure?” I asked again, giving him a s
