Six months later, Lucas got an acceptance letter from Belmor Town's university medical school. "I'm headed there to study," he said, hesitating as he looked at me. "Would you… come with me?"
My fingers shook. Belmor Town—the place I'd fought to escape. He saw my unease and squeezed my hand. "If you don't want to, I'll turn it down—"
"No," I said, taking a deep breath. "I'll go. I can't hide forever."
He touched my cheek, voice tender. "I'll keep you safe."
The night before we left, I told Lucas everything—Julian's betrayal, Chloe's schemes, my parents' favoritism, the fire. By the end, I was sobbing. He listened quietly, wiping my tears when I finished. "It's over now," he said. "You've got me."
I leaned into him, finally feeling a flicker of peace.
In Belmor Town, Lucas rented a qui
