On the way home, Liora pressed half her face against the seatback, exhaustion weighing on her. She rubbed her temples, her voice thick with drowsiness. "Rowan, sorry about today. Dinner's on me next time."
The moment the words left her lips, Rowan's grip on the steering wheel tightened, his knuckles whitening. He stayed silent, eyes locked onto her reflection in the rearview mirror. His Adam's apple bobbed as he forced down the surge of emotions. "Don't apologize to me."
After a beat, his voice softened into a whisper of a plea. "From now on, dump all your troubles on me. I'll clean up every mess. Just... try trusting me, okay?"
Liora's eyes flew open at his gentle words. Her steady heartbeat stuttered into chaos, even as logic hissed in her ear—never again would she trust someone blind
