Rae's POV
The silence after my confession stretched so long I could hear the soft tick of the hallway clock.
Killian stayed crouched in front of me, thumbs stroking slow arcs over my cheeks, eyes searching mine like he could see every frightened corner of my heart.
"Rae," he started, voice low and steady, "I hear you. I do. This whole thing is a f*****g mess on paper. Step-uncle, age gap, your mom, my brother... I know exactly how complicated it is. I'm not blind."
I bit my lip, hugging my knees tighter.
"But listen to me." He leaned closer, until our foreheads touched and all I could see was blue. "Right now, tonight, tomorrow, the next six days, we have this house. We have each other. No one's watching. No one's judging. Just us. And I refuse to let the future steal the present fro
