Aya’s POV
I know we’ve had this conversation before.
Or versions of it. Half-spoken warnings. Looks that lingered too long. Silences that were louder than shouting. I know I should wait. I know I should trust him—trust that whatever he’s trying to do, whatever he’s hiding, it’s meant to protect me.
But no.
Enough is enough.
Because trusting him blindly has started to feel like walking toward a cliff with my eyes closed, hoping he’ll grab me before I fall. And I’m tired of not knowing whether the ground beneath my feet is solid—or already crumbling.
The rink smelled like ice and metal and adrenaline, but beneath it all was him. Johanis. His presence pressed against me like gravity, steady and unavoidable. The bond hummed low between us, no longer frantic, but alert. Awake.
I stayed b
