We lie tangled for what feels like hours, though I know it’s only minutes. My head rests on his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart—the sound that keeps my own from falling apart.
Caden’s fingers trace gentle patterns up and down my spine, and each brush feels like a whisper from the universe reminding me you’re safe now. You’re together.
“I think we should get up,” I whisper, though I don’t move.
His arms tighten.
“Why?” he murmurs into my hair. “We’re already where we’re supposed to be.”
“I know,” I say, my voice barely audible. “But Mum’s going to come up soon if I don’t show my face.”
He groans, the sound vibrating through me. “If she walks in, I’m locking the door and pretending I can’t hear her.”
I laugh against his skin, but I know we have to. Eventually.
Still,
