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Caden stopped in his tracks, the weight of her question hitting him harder than he expected. He felt the pressure building in his chest again, a mixture of frustration and exhaustion he couldn’t shake. He turned slowly, the words catching in his throat as he faced her. “I’m fine,” he said, his voice cracking slightly, betraying the truth he was desperately trying to bury. He ran a hand through his hair, eyes lowering to the floor as he fought to regain control, to keep it all in. The walls he’d built up around himself had never felt more fragile, and the cracks were starting to show in a way he couldn’t ignore.
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"Would you like me to leave you alone?" She asked softly, giving him an option
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"Not really," He adds,turning and continuing before sliding the bag off his shoulder and reaching into his pocket.Caden's fingers curled around the bottles as he took the out,staring at them once more.
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Rose nodded and leaned against the doorframe, her eyes watching him with a soft expression
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He heard her move and shoved the bottles into his bag,burying them with stuff as he zipped it up and tossed it under the bed,walking to the doorframe and snaking a hand across her shoulder,kissing her cheek before walking downstairs and flopping on the couch.
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Rose smiled and followed him
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Caden curled into her side,draping a arm across her shoulder as he kissed her neck,letting out a sigh as he pulled out his phone and started doomscrolling.
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"I love you" She said quietly
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"Thanks for doing that.Never had anybody say it until what?One,two years ago?So just,thanks for that.And I love you too." He says,kissing her neck before resting his head on her shoulder and continuing to doomscroll.
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Rose smiled softly and closed her eyes, happy to just rest with him
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