The room was still dark, the sun not yet risen, when your eyes drifted toward Theo lying beside you. His breathing was steady, even. On the surface, he looked peaceful. But inside your chest, your heart clenched. Lately, it was as though he wasn’t fully here with you—his body beside yours, but his mind and heart somewhere else.

You had been together for years. It had been a year since you graduated from Hogwarts, and your relationship, once so solid, now felt fragile in ways you couldn’t name. Every time you asked, the answers were the same.

Don’t worry. I’m just tired. I have a lot going on with work.

But it didn’t feel right. It left you feeling alone in a way you hated.

Shifting onto your side, you turned away from him and slipped quietly from the bed. You pulled on the robe draped over the chair at your vanity, cinching it around your waist. The door clicked softly shut behind you as you slipped out, careful not to wake him.

Downstairs, the silence pressed in around you. You made yourself a cup of coffee, the rich smell filling the kitchen, familiar and warm—but it did little to settle the storm inside your chest. You sat at the table, hands wrapped around the mug, and took a slow sip as your thoughts spun.

It wasn’t long before you heard the soft creak of footsteps on the stairs. Theo appeared, hair mussed, the faintest shadows under his eyes. He stopped short when he saw you sitting alone in the dim kitchen, the glow of lantern light flickering against your tired face.

“Bella… why are you up at this hour?” he asked, voice rough with sleep as he moved closer. You offered him a small, weary smile. “Couldn’t sleep,” you said. It wasn’t a lie—but it wasn’t the whole truth either.

Theo knew. He always knew. And lately, the knowledge that he was hurting you by keeping secrets of his own was eating him alive. He crossed the room, pulled a chair closer to yours, and sat down. His hand found yours, thumb brushing over your knuckles before he lifted it to press a gentle kiss against the back.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly, eyes searching yours. “For how I’ve been lately.”

You opened your mouth to respond, but he continued before you could.

“There’s something I need to tell you. And I need you to try and stay calm.” His voice wavered, though he tried to steady it.

Your stomach tightened, your pulse hammering in your ears. “Alright… what’s going on?”

His grip on your hand tightened. His eyes softened, but there was a storm gathering in them.

“My father has arranged a marriage for me. To someone else.”

The words hit like a slap. Your stomach dropped, the world tilting as though the air had been yanked from your lungs.

You pulled your hand back slightly, staring at him, but Theo didn’t let go. His grip tightened, almost desperate, and this time you saw it—the raw fear in his eyes.

“I don’t want it,” he said quickly, the words rushing out before you could speak. His voice cracked on the edges, his usual calm composure crumbling. “I don’t want her. I never did.”

His thumb brushed over your knuckles, trembling now. “It’s politics. Business. My father doesn’t care what it does to me—or to us. I’ve been trying to find a way out, but every day it’s like the walls close in tighter.”

He swallowed hard, lowering his gaze for the first time, as if ashamed. “That’s why I’ve been distant. Not because I don’t love you… but because I can’t figure out how to fight this without destroying everything else.”

The silence between you was heavy, your heart pounding against your ribs. Theo’s eyes lifted back to yours, and for once there was no mask, no shield. Just a boy you’d loved for years—terrified of losing you.

“Please,” he whispered. “Tell me you believe me. Tell me you know I would never choose this over you.”