Ryder
A soft, warm brush touched my lips. It was light — barely there — but I knew instantly it was her. Lila. My eyes stayed closed for a heartbeat, letting the feeling sink in. I could have moved away. I could have pretended I was asleep. But I didn’t want to. I didn’t want this to stop.
I opened my eyes slowly. The room was dark, but the faint hallway light slipping under the door was enough to see her face — close, uncertain, beautiful. Her brown eyes were wide and searching, reflecting the dim glow. She looked nervous, but there was something else there too. Something brave.
I turned toward her fully. My hand came up and cupped her cheek. My thumb brushed slowly across her lower lip, feeling how soft and swollen it still was from earlier. Her breath hitched. Her eyes fluttered half
