I’m scared

Kael let out a long breath, his body relaxing despite himself, the warmth of Liss's presence melting his tension.

Her thigh pressed closer, her breasts brushing his chest again, a quiet intimacy that felt natural, grounding.

"I'm scared, you know," he murmured, his voice barely audible, his dark eyes staring at the ceiling.

"I don't know who's after me. I don't know what's coming. It's like I'm walking through a house full of invisible tripwires."

Liss didn't move at first, her body still, her breath steady.

Then she pressed her forehead to his shoulder, her hair spilling across his chest, her hand resting on his heart, feeling its unsteady rhythm.

"You'll be okay," she whispered, her voice soft, fierce. "We'll be okay. That's why you're not alone, dumbass."

Kael's eyelids fluttered, his breathing slowing, the weight of her words and her warmth pulling him under.