We left Willow House in silence, but not in distance. For the first time, I did not trail her like a shadow—I walked at her side. Our steps matched, her smaller stride forcing me to shorten mine, and still it felt unnatural, dangerous, like pretending I belonged in her world of lit streets and quiet houses. She didn’t look at me often, but when she did, her eyes held the storm we had left behind in the archives, the fire and fury that hadn’t gone out. I wore the echoes of it in my chest, each glance from her a fresh brand.The city hushed around us, emptied by night. I could hear her heart with every block we passed, steady but slower than it had been—still weakened, still mine. I didn’t like how fragile it sounded, and I liked even less how much I wanted to break it all over again.When we reached her door, she turned to me. Her hand hovered near the frame, lips parting on the words I knew were coming. Invite me in. I felt the air shift, the old rule stirring, ready to bend if she ga
Last Updated : 2025-12-13 Read more