Chapter 54. Blurred Lines

Victoria’s POV

My heart plummeted as his question hung in the air, heavy with tension. It wasn’t just the words themselves—it was the way he asked, the intensity in his gaze, as if he already knew the answer and was daring me to admit it.

For a moment, I couldn’t speak. The words caught in my throat, replaced by an unbearable silence that stretched between us. I could feel the weight of his scrutiny, the heat of his body pressed close to mine, and the dull roar of my heartbeat in my ears.

Why was I uncomfortable? Why did I keep pulling away?

What was I supposed to tell him? That his every touch sent an electric charge through my skin? That his unpredictable behavior was throwing me off balance, leaving me stranded between wanting more and wanting to escape? One moment, he was warm and protective; the next, distant and unreadable.

I swallowed hard, trying to force my thoughts into some semblance of order. My pulse thrummed like a drumbeat, and I f