They didn't speak for a while. They sat in comfortable silence, gazing at the fire drowsily, until the tantalizing scent of cooked meat wafted through the room. The fire crackled softly between them, casting slow-moving shadows across the curved walls.
Jason reached out and wrapped his fingers around Liana’s hand. His grip was warm. Her childhood memories sparked to life and she was suddenly transported to the rare times when Jason would reluctantly comfort her during the nights she’d be ‘disciplined’ by his parents.
She stiffened in surprise for a split second before relaxing into it, her thumb brushing unconsciously against his knuckles.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “For… all of it.”
Liana inhaled, steady and controlled. “You don’t have to be.”
“But I want to be.” His jaw tightene
