The sound of the front door opening sliced through the quiet cocoon Edward and I had wrapped ourselves in. The stillness shattered, replaced by the familiar cadence of distant voices carrying down the hall—Thomas’s light, airy chuckle and Daniel’s smoother tone, both tinged with the weariness of a long day. My pulse leapt, not with guilt, but anticipation—and a knot of nerves I couldn’t untangle.
“They’re back,” I whispered, sitting up slightly as adrenaline prickled across my skin. My fingers curled tighter around Edward’s, searching for steadiness in the face of what we were about to do.
He sat up too, scrubbing a hand through his still-damp hair. We’d showered not long after waking—warm water and quiet kisses, an attempt to rinse away not just the sweat of the day, but the weight of w
