"You keep saying that a lot, and yet... I can't help but doubt you," Lyra murmured, her gaze shifting away, unable to meet his eyes.
Casian's words always had a strange effect on her—soft, like balm on an open wound. And yet, part of her feared they came with strings attached, the kind that could wrap around her heart only to slice deeper than before.
Casian's jaw tightened. He could see it—the way she flinched inward, how her trust in him had withered. And he knew why.
His past actions, driven by anger and grief, had shattered the fragile thread that once connected them. But he wasn't going to give up. Not now. Not when he finally understood what she truly meant to him.
She wasn't alone anymore. That was the truth he clung to.
He wouldn't let her be. Not until she could stand on her own, strong and safe, untouched by the threats that still lingered in the shadows.
Even so, the thought of her leaving—walking away from him—made his lungs constrict. The idea was unbearable.
