The black sleeve sat on my lap like a threat.
Or a promise.
Maybe both.
The fire burned low in the grate, turning the room soft around the edges in a way that felt dishonest compared to what sat between my hands. Kade hadn’t moved from the chair across from me. He was still there, elbows braced on his knees, gaze fixed on me with that impossible, steady patience that never felt passive.
Waiting.
Not because he didn’t care.
Because he cared enough not to rush me.
That should not have mattered as much as it did.
It did anyway.
I looked down at the sleeve.
Then back at him.
Then down again.
“You know this is dramatic,” I said softly.
His mouth moved at one corner. “You’ve had a very dramatic day.”
“Understatement.”
“Yes.”
I exhaled through my nose.
My fingers slid under the f
