"I'm here," Lily said softly.
Her words cut through the charged silence like a spark in dry grass, and Ross turned to her with a smile—genuine, knowing, and just a little amused.
Lily had followed her gut. She didn't know why, exactly. Maybe it was foolish.
Maybe it was her youth talking.
But something deep inside her told her this was the right choice.
If she walked away now, she knew she'd lie awake at night wondering what could have been.
That kind of regret—the quiet, lingering kind that eats away at you over time—was something she never wanted to carry.
It wasn't just about Ross. It was about herself. Her agency. Her choice.
People might call her naïve. Maybe even reckless. But she didn't care.
She would rather leap and fall than stand on the edge for the rest of her life wondering what if.
And if this turned out to be a mistake?
Then it would be her mistake to own, to learn from, and never apologize for.
