Soren’s POV
My brothers go with what they know. Ryker fixes what’s immediate, Kael controls what he can.
I’m not the one who pushes or demands, not the one who claims space with a word or a look. I’m the one who sees the things they miss—the way her gaze flickers, the way her hands tremble, the way she holds herself like a secret she’s not sure she’s allowed to keep.
Ayla stands between us, but not with us.
The notebook is still in her hand; her fingers rest along the edge, like she’s not sure if she’s supposed to hold it that tightly—or if it might be taken if she doesn’t. She doesn’t look at it again, but she doesn’t let go either, and that’s important.
“She’s keeping it,” Blaze says, his voice quiet in the back of my mind.
“I see that.”
“She didn’t push it away.”
“No.” And that
