Emma:
Kaden didn’t move at first.
He just stood there, breathing me in like he wasn’t sure I was real. Like one wrong word, one wrong twitch of muscle, might make me disappear.
A strange warmth bloomed in my chest.
Not comfort.Not safety.Something… sharper.
Something that felt like stepping too close to a fire and realizing it didn’t burn the way you expected — that maybe you needed the heat after all.
He cleared his throat, stepping back just enough to regain some control. “Okay,” he said again, quieter this time. “If we’re doing this… we need to get a plan together. Logistics. Details the court will ask about.”
I nodded, even though my ribs screamed. “Alright.”
He gestured toward the small table in the corner of the room. “Can you sit? You’re shaking.”
I was.
I hadn’t noticed u
