Rae's POV
The house was silent except for the faint tick of the grandfather clock in the hallway.
Mom had gone to bed early again-jet lag still clinging to her like a stubborn shadow.
She'd kissed my forehead at 9:30, told me she loved me, and disappeared upstairs. I'd waited until her door clicked shut, then waited another hour just to be sure.
I couldn't sleep.
My body was still wired from earlier, from the way Killian had looked at me across the dinner table, from the way his knee had brushed mine under the blanket during movie night.
Every time our eyes met, it felt like a spark. Every time Mom left the room, I waited for his hand to find mine. But we were careful. Too careful.
I slipped out of bed at 1:47 a.m., barefoot, wearing nothing but his oversized black T-shirt.
Th
