My gaze flickers toward the horizon, and I remember what he told me earlier about his brother, Jeremiah. Lando’s life isn’t simple—his family is complicated, and Jeremiah, with his brash confidence and protective streak, always seems to be in the middle of everything.

Sometimes I think Jeremiah’s presence makes Lando hold back even more, afraid of being judged or misunderstood, afraid to show vulnerability. That makes this moment on the beach, alone with him, even more intense.

The waves crash around our ankles, the wind tangles my hair around my face. The sun is sinking slowly over the horizon, painting the sky in shades of pink and gold. The sand is warm and sticky under my feet, and the waves lap lazily against the shore.

I walk beside Lando, but the silence is tense this time, heavy with everything unsaid between us. The anger from earlier still burns inside me, and I can sense it radiating from him too.

“You think you can just disappear and everything will fix itself?” I snap, my voice trembling but firm.

He glares at me, jaw tight. “And you think I’ll just stand here, waiting for you to change your mind about everything, guessing what you feel?”

His voice is low, controlled, but every word hits like a punch. I stop and stare at him, refusing to look away.

“You know exactly what I feel! But you… you refuse to ever say what’s on your mind.”

Lando exhales sharply, clenching his hands in his pockets. He steps closer, and I instinctively take a step back on the sand. His eyes lock on mine, intense and raw : “I thought you knew !"