Chapter Sixteen: The Space Between Us

The night felt heavier than usual.

Rain tapped lightly against the windows, the sound soft but relentless — like a secret that refused to die down. Ariella sat on the edge of her bed, her fingers trembling against the folds of her nightgown. She hadn’t changed the sheets since that afternoon. The air still carried the faint scent of fear and truth.

Lucien’s truth.

Her father’s death. Elise’s deceit. The truth that had pulled her entire world apart.

A gentle knock came at her door.

She froze. “Who is it?”

“It’s me,” Lucien’s voice came quietly through the door, lower than usual. “Can I come in?”

Ariella swallowed hard. She wanted to tell him no. She wanted space — to breathe, to stop shaking. But her heart, traitorous as always, whispered something else.

“Yes,” she managed to say.

The door creaked open. He stepped inside, dressed in a black shirt, sleeves rolled up, a few buttons undone. His eyes searched her like he wasn’t sure he had the right to look at her anymore.

“I couldn’t sleep,” he said. “I figured you couldn’t either.”

She looked down. “What do you want, Lucien?”

“To make things right,” he said softly. “Or at least try.”

Ariella let out a shaky laugh. “You can’t fix this. None of this can be fixed.”

He took a few steps closer, the distance between them shrinking with every heartbeat. “You’re right. I can’t change what happened. But I can protect you from what’s coming next.”

“What’s coming?” she asked, lifting her head to meet his gaze.

“Elise,” he said, the name falling from his lips like a curse. “She’s not done yet, Ariella. She’s scared now that you know the truth. She’ll do anything to silence you.”

Her breath hitched. “You think she’ll—?”

“I know she will.” His eyes burned with quiet intensity. “She’s more dangerous than you think.”

The words should’ve frightened her, but all she could focus on was the warmth in his voice. The way he said you — like she was the only thing that mattered.

Her throat tightened. “Why are you helping me, Lucien? Why go this far for me when you could just… walk away?”

He hesitated. “Because I can’t.”

Something flickered in his eyes — pain, guilt, something deeper. He sat beside her, close enough that she could feel the heat of him. Their shoulders brushed, and it sent a shiver down her spine.

“You deserve the truth,” he murmured. “Not the lies Elise built around you.”

“And what about you?” she whispered. “What truth are you hiding?”

His jaw tightened. “The one that’ll ruin everything if I say it.”

Her heart thudded painfully. “Then say it.”

He turned to her then — really turned — his gaze tracing her face like he was memorizing her. The room felt smaller, the rain louder. The silence between them cracked under the weight of something neither of them could name.

“Ariella…” His voice broke slightly. “You don’t know how long I’ve tried to stay away from you.”

Her lips parted. “Then why didn’t you?”

“Because I can’t stop caring about you,” he said, his voice low, rough, trembling at the edges. “And that terrifies me more than anything Elise could ever do.”

Her breath hitched, eyes flicking to his mouth before she could stop herself. The space between them shrank — an inch, then half. The air turned heavy, electric.

“Lucien…” she whispered.

He leaned in, slowly, carefully, as if giving her time to stop him. But she didn’t. Their foreheads touched, breaths mingling, hearts racing in uneven rhythm.

For a second, she forgot the pain. Forgot the truth. There was only him.

Then —

A loud crack of thunder shattered the moment. She flinched, and Lucien pulled back just enough to meet her eyes again.

“I shouldn’t,” he muttered, half to himself.

Her chest rose and fell. “Then don’t say you care if you’ll keep walking away.”

His eyes softened. “If I stay, Ariella… I might never let you go.”

He stood up before she could reply, his hand brushing hers one last time — a silent promise, or maybe an apology.

And just like that, he was gone.

Ariella sat in the dim light, her fingers still tingling where he’d touched her. Outside, the rain poured harder. Inside, her heart beat to a rhythm she couldn’t silence anymore.

He said he cared.

And somehow, that made everything even more dangerous.