I’m not asleep.
I just don’t open my eyes.
Max is fully out, though. His arm is locked around my waist like his body decided sometime during the night that letting go wasn’t an option. My cheek is pressed against his chest, his heartbeat steady under my ear.
I don’t move when I hear footsteps.
Kai’s voice is low. “He’s out.”
Gabriel hums quietly. “Finally.”
Lucas snorts softly. “About time. He’s been glued to her all day.”
“She needed it,” Kai replies.
I hear the soft rustle of fabric. A blanket. Then the gentle weight of it settling over both of us. Kai’s hands are careful when he tucks it around my shoulders.
“She runs herself thin,” Gabriel says quietly.
“Yeah,” Lucas agrees. “Acts like she’s fine until she’s not.”
There’s no judgment in it. Just observation.
Kai steps back.
