Kylie’s POV
The gate still made the same sound.
I stood there for a moment longer than I should have, my hand resting on my stomach, my breath uneven.
So many memories lived here. Not the loud ones. The quiet ones. The nights I waited. The mornings I pretended everything was fine.
I stepped inside.
Liam didn’t look surprised to see me. He never did. He was seated in the living room, relaxed, as if he’d been expecting me all along.
“Welcome home,” he said lightly.
I ignored the word home. “I won’t stay long.”
He smiled, slow and confident. “You always say that.”
My chest tightened.
“This place,” I said, glancing around despite myself. “It hasn’t changed.”
“Why would it?” he replied. “You left. I didn’t.”
He stood and walked to the television stand, picking up a remote. My heart
