Rebirth: Love me Again

Chapter 187 Lines Drawn in Silence

[lina]

"getting to know each other?" he echoed, raising a brow.

i nodded. "yes. i'll go first. i'm a business major, set to graduate soon. i heard from your mother that you're still in high school?"

he shifted slightly, clearly uneasy with the implied age difference. "i'm finishing up. i'll be starting college soon."

"and what are you planning to study in college?" i asked, genuinely curious.

"law."

"law?" i repeated, impressed. "that's great. do you have a specific focus in mind?"

"family law," daniel answered after a brief pause.

my interest piqued. "family law? that's an interesting choice. why family law?"

his gaze dropped momentarily, and i saw the faintest flicker of vulnerability in his eyes. "i want to help children," he said, his voice quieter now. "to make sure they have rights and support, even if their families abandon them."

i froze, the words hitting me harder than i expected. i knew his story—how he was the son of a mistress, how he had grown up without a father who wouldn't claim him. his desire to protect others like him suddenly made so much sense.

it must have been unimaginably difficult for him, growing up in the shadow of secrets, knowing he could never truly belong. and yet, here he was—resilient, honest, and determined to turn his pain into something meaningful.

as i looked at him, guilt twisted in my chest. he was a good man—better than most—and i had tampered with his fate for reasons i could barely justify to myself. but i told myself it was for the best. for him. for eve. for everyone.

still, as he sat there, earnest and unguarded, i couldn't help but wonder if i had done him a great injustice.

i paused mid-sentence, noticing daniel's gaze fixated on something—or someone—behind me. his sharp eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of unease crossing his otherwise composed expression.

"what's wrong?" i asked, my voice soft but laced with curiosity.

"do you know that guy?" he murmured, nodding behind me.

i turned slightly, following his line of sight. sure enough, dylan sat just a few feet away, his posture as rigid as ever. arms crossed over his broad chest, his piercing gaze locked onto daniel with a ferocity that could rival a hawk sizing up prey. his expression was darker than usual, his jaw taut.

suppressing a sigh, i forced a smile as i turned back to daniel. "don't mind him. he's just my bodyguard."

"bodyguard?" daniel echoed, lifting his glass of wine to his lips. his tone was casual, but his eyes betrayed a flicker of surprise. "that explains the . . . deathly stares."

daniel was kind, intelligent, and someone i could see a future with if i let myself. we were both broken in our own ways, both burdened by unrequited love.

perhaps, just perhaps, we could find solace in each other's company. if i ever decided to let someone in, i realized, i wouldn't mind if it was him.

"let's go," dylan said, his voice steady but laced with an undercurrent i couldn't quite place.

without a word, he reached over and pushed the passenger door open for me. the gesture was so automatic, so familiar, that it made my chest tighten in a way i hadn't anticipated.

but instead of moving toward the open door, i hesitated. my fingers brushed lightly against the handle of the backseat door instead.

his brow furrowed ever so slightly, his sharp blue eyes glancing at me as i opened the back door.

i forced a small, polite smile as i settled into the back seat. "from now on," i said, my tone light but firm, "i'll ride in the back."

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dylan paused then he walked to the driver's side of the car, sliding in with practiced ease. his hands froze on the steering wheel for a fraction of a second, his knuckles tightening before he quickly masked the reaction. he didn't look at me again, but i saw the flicker of something in his expression.

was it disappointment? hurt? resignation?

he said nothing as he started the car, the low rumble of the engine filling the silence.

i turned my gaze out the window, watching the city lights blur into streaks of gold and silver as we drove through the night. the silence between us wasn't new—it was a space we'd both grown accustomed to—but tonight, it felt heavier.

the warmth that once filled these quiet moments was gone, replaced by an emptiness i had imposed.

this wasn't just about the car. it was a boundary, a line i had drawn for myself.

from now on, i had to let go.

i had to move on—from him.

that was part of our deal, and it was for the best.

dylan had been my anchor for so long. he'd been there in my darkest moments, a quiet, constant presence who never demanded more than i could give. but i couldn't keep holding on to him, not like this. not when i knew he would never let himself see me as anything more than someone to protect.

as the car glided through the city, i stole one last glance at him in the mirror. his jaw was set, his eyes fixed on the road ahead, but there was a tension in his shoulders that hadn't been there before.

from now on, i had to create distance—not because i wanted to, but because i had no other choice.