A Mistake

ARYA’S POV I was lost in the sensation of his lips on my neck, the way his hands held me and his heart racing against my chest, matching the frantic rhythm of my own. When he pulled away, I reached for him instinctively, my body protesting the sudden loss of contact, but he stepped back, putting distance between us. I blinked away the haze, staring at him in confusion. “Giovanni-“ "This was a mistake," he said, his voice flat. I blinked again, sure I'd misheard. "What?" "This." He gestured vaguely between us, still not meeting my eyes. "This was a mistake. I shouldn't have kissed you." My stomach dropped and my mouth opened but words had failed me. "But you… we just-" I stammered, trying to make sense of what was happening. "It won't happen again," he interrupted, his tone cold now. "I lost control and I apologize for it." He turned and walked away, leaving me standing there in the shadows like some discarded thing. A mistake. That's what I was. The anger started as a sp