Chapter 135

NOAH “You better keep your word.” My fingers gripped Olivia’s slender shoulders tightly, almost digging into them. I caught her wrist, then let it go, my knuckles cracking from the force of it. My eyes burned, whether from anger or something else, I wasn’t sure. “You’ve stepped over my heart again and again. You keep saying I don’t understand love, Olivia. I’m human too. My heart isn’t made of steel.” My voice rose before I could stop it. “Then tell me—what does love even mean to you? Tell me!” My hand tightened around her arm, hard enough to feel the warmth of her skin beneath my palm. It felt like I was holding on to something that kept slipping away. But she didn’t struggle. She stayed still. Calm. Even as tears slowly gathered in her eyes. Her voice trembled when she finally answered. “Loving someone doesn’t mean you have to have them,” she said quietly. “Sometimes… it’s just watching from afar and hoping they’re happy. Even if you’re not the one beside them.” Her words didn’t soun