I knew something was wrong the second I felt her body tense under my touch. It wasn’t just the usual tension we had when she tried to resist me—it was something darker. Her skin had gone cold despite the heat between us, and the light in her eyes flickered as if she were no longer fully present.
Then it hit me: she wasn’t here anymore, not with me. She was back there, lost in her past, in the torment of what Caelan had done to her. Her breaths came fast and shallow, and I could feel her pulse racing, almost out of control. I pulled back slightly, giving her space, but I couldn’t leave her to spiral.
“Hope,” I said softly, my voice low and steady. “Hope you’re safe. You’re here with me, not him. He’s gone.”
She didn’t respond. Her eyes were wide, filled with fear and something worse—he
