𝓥𝓲𝓸𝓵𝓮𝓽

Clara told me everything. From the first day she met Owen to this morning.

I hated it because I didn't trust Maverick, but he was right - Owen wasn't a good person.

But even as she told me, Clara was defending him. She wasn't realizing the facts. I didn't know how to make her see, make her understand.

I watched Clara, and my heart grew heavy with concern.

"...Owen is manipulating you, Clara. It's not always easy to see -"

She interrupted, "but my experiences with Owen... they're not all bad," she countered, her voice laced with confusion.

I thought about everything she told me and recapped, letting her see the truth. "He's continually pushing at your boundaries, Clara. He's manipulative." I thought about the story she told me.

"I don't think I'm comfortable with that."

"With telling me?" He scoffed, "Oh, come on. You can trust me, can't you?" The corners of his mouth tipped into a small, sweet smile.

I hesitated, uncertainty gnawing at my insides, but his charm was like a magnet, pulling me closer despite my better judgment. "It's just...personal," I stammered, trying not to reveal too much.

Owen leaned back with surprise, crossing his features. "Personal?... Well, now I'm even more curious." His voice dropped to a lower tone as he leaned in closer, invading my personal space. "I won't judge you, Clara."

He was manipulating her feelings, trying to make her feel sorry for him, and then again with his stories about his mother and ex-girlfriend.

He ignored it when she seemed uncomfortable. He invaded her personal space, stalking her, and repeatedly showed up at her work trying to find where she was after she'd quit at the coffee shop, forcing intimacy - kissing her that morning.

I explained it all to Clara, and the more I talked, the less she started denying me and defending him - the more she started to realize.

"Clara, I know you may care about Owen, but I have to be honest with you... You deserve so much better than that... You need someone who respects your boundaries and someone who doesn't try to force you into something."

She didn't say anything but stare at her hands, and I about opened my mouth again before she beat me to it.