I stiffened.
Soren had changed. He was different from how I remembered him, and that was why he felt so unpredictable to me now.
I composed myself and looked back. Silas was still asleep.
I straightened my clothes and stepped outside.
Soren stood on the balcony, maybe hoping the cool breeze would calm him. Bullet circled his legs, tail wagging.
I approached him hesitantly. He didn't turn around. Instead, he said, "Let's get married, Taylor."
I was stunned. My mind went blank.
What the hell?! Just like that? He decided to throw this at me, all of a sudden?
Soren turned to face my bewilderment with calmness. "This is the best arrangement moving forward."
"Because of Hale?"
"Why else?" He smiled. "I wouldn't mind if it were for love too."
"You… still love me after all these years?"
"Don't you?"
This wasn't how we used to talk. I was struggling to adjust.
Soren had once been mild-mannered, gentle, and patient. Now, every conversation felt like a quiet battle of wits, where he
