Jess enters the room, quieter than ever. Tanner is right beside him, their steps in sync, but it all feels like it's falling apart again.
Why does everything feel like it's crumbling?
Just the other day, Jess had made peace with Tanner over the Charlotte issue. He'd realized he'd overreacted, finally understanding that Tanner had kept the truth from him not out of deceit, but out of love, trying to spare him the pain of digging through a past that still had sharp edges.
And Tanner had apologized for it, had gone out of his way to show that it had never been about mistrust, just care.
So why now, with everything seemingly resolved, did it feel like the ground was shifting again?
Nothing has felt quite right since the night Ashen stayed out the whole night.
Jess climbs into bed, his body tense, mind miles away. Tanner slips in beside him a moment later, his arm reaching out automatically, wrapping gently but firmly around Jess's waist.
