Tadan didn’t flinch. He never did.
He stood between Ruha and Danam with a calmness that made Danam’s smirk twitch. A calm that said I know who you are. And I’m not afraid anymore.
Ruha’s fingers still rested on the spine of the book. But now, her hand trembled.
"Leave," Tadan said again, voice firmer now.
Danam took a slow step forward, just enough to make the distance uncomfortable. “Still trying to protect her? From what—me? Or the truth?”
Ruha felt her breath catch. Not here. Please, not here.
Tadan’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t rise to it. That was the thing about him—he didn’t fight with fists. He fought with silence, with loyalty, with the quiet way he always chose her even when she didn’t ask.
“She asked you to leave,” he said. “That should’ve been enough.”
Danam looked at Ruha then. Really looked.
And just like that, time folded.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjggVT0vfhm
She was seventeen again.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCEcs1Rs1A7
Sitting in the back of Danam’s car, tracing raindrops on the window while he whispered promises that tasted like freedom and fire.
But promises are easy.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtft7axfg5N
Keeping them? That’s the part that scars.
“I just came to talk,” Danam said softly. “You owe me that.”
“I owe you nothing,” Ruha whispered.
The words tasted like steel on her tongue. Cold. Strong. Final.
For a moment, no one spoke. The bookstore buzzed faintly with a flickering light overhead. Somewhere outside, thunder cracked.
Then Danam gave a slow nod, stepped back, and turned for the door.
Before he left, he looked at Tadan one last time.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9JvFRM7ivh
“She’s good at running, you know. Ask her how many times she’s left without saying goodbye.”
And then he was gone.
The door shut behind him with a soft click, but it echoed through Ruha like a scream.
Tadan didn’t say anything. He just walked over to her, slow, careful—like he always was with her. Like he knew she was made of pieces she hadn’t figured out how to hold yet.
"You okay?" he asked.
Ruha nodded, then shook her head. “I thought I was. Until I saw him.”
She sank to the floor between the shelves, her back against the worn spines of forgotten stories. Tadan sat beside her, close but not too close. He never touched her unless she reached first.
And after a long silence, she whispered, “I never told you everything, Tadan. About what he did. About what I did.”
Tadan didn’t flinch.
He just said, “Then tell me now.”
And this time, Ruha looked into his eyes—and saw something that terrified her more than Danam ever did.
Patience.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkxk3vkPnB0
Love.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGXzhC8EdmU
And a place to finally fall apart.
