~Lyra~
“What’s wrong?” I asked, watching the sudden pallor wash over Kael’s face.
He shook his head, leaned in, and pressed a brief kiss to my lips—light, almost distracted. “Wait for me,” he murmured.
Then he stood and walked to the bathroom. Less than ten minutes later, he returned.
His hair was damp, clinging in wet strands across his forehead. He wore nothing but low-slung lounge pants. A towel was tossed lazily across his shoulders as he padded barefoot toward me.
“You okay?” I asked, searching his face. “You looked really pale just now.”
He offered a small, tired smile. “Nothing. Just tired, I guess.”
Kael was... quiet tonight. Tender, even. He kissed me a few times, held me close—but that was it. No teasing, no lingering touches, no heat behind his eyes.
Eventually, I drifte
