Gabrielle’s POV
The kiss hung in the air, lingering in the quiet between us like an unspoken promise. The way Matthew held me, so sure and strong, made the world outside feel like a distant memory. I wanted to stay there forever, tucked in his arms, safe from everything that had been threatening to tear us apart.
But reality had a way of creeping in, and when his arms finally loosened around me, I was left with a feeling that had been gnawing at me for days: fear.
I pulled back slightly, my gaze lingering on his. His eyes, still dark with the emotions that had poured out of him, softened, but the tension remained.
“Matthew,” I started, my voice shaky. “What are we really doing? We’re caught in all of this—Ruelle, the silver key, everything. And then there’s us.”
His fingers brushed my
