89
~Velma’s POV
I woke slowly, the kind of waking where the body knows before the mind does that it is safe, warm, and held.
Theron was beside me, one arm heavy across my waist, his breathing deep and even. The room was quiet except for the soft hum of the early morning and the faint sound of birds outside the window. Sunlight filtered through the curtains, pale and gentle, brushing across his face and then mine.
I stayed still for a while, just watching him. The way his brows relaxed when he slept. The slight rise and fall of his chest. Something was grounding about it. Something that made my thoughts slow down.
I smiled to myself.
Careful not to wake him, I shifted slightly, but his arm tightened automatically, pulling me closer. His eyes opened halfway.
“Morning,” he murmured, vo
