Chapter 419

Maddy’s POV

“I don’t know what you want me to say, Maddy,” she says finally, her voice tinged with frustration. 

“I don’t want to get involved with Jason. He’s been through so much, and I’m not the person he needs. I don’t want to be a complication for him.”

I can see the hurt in her eyes, the uncertainty that’s been eating away at her for a while now. And in that moment, I realized something. 

She’s afraid. She’s afraid of what could happen if she lets herself get close to him, afraid of what it would mean if she admits that maybe, just maybe, Jason does feel something for her.

“Layla,” I say gently, my tone softening, “I know you’re scared. I know you don’t want to get hurt, but you have to realize that sometimes the people we push away are the ones who care about us the most. And Jason... he’s been showing you in every way that he cares. You don’t have to push him away.”

She doesn’t say anything at f