it was so her

Karim's POV: 

As I sat across from her, I could feel the tension in the air, thick and suffocating, like a storm waiting to break. She was avoiding my gaze, her eyes focused on the empty plate in front of her, the remnants of our dinner untouched.

It wasn't like her to be so quiet, so withdrawn. Normally, she'd be filling the space between us with stories, with laughter, with the warmth that I had come to depend on. But tonight, it was different. She was different.

"Is everything okay?" I asked, my voice low, cautious. I didn't want to push her, but the silence was gnawing at me like a slow and painful bite.

She looked up briefly, her eyes flickering with something I couldn't quite read, then quickly looked away. "Nothing," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Just tired you know."

I could hear the lie in her words, could feel it like a weight pressing down on my chest.