His words left a cold trail along my skin. Something overwhelmed me but I couldn’t tell what exactly. Fear? Anticipation for a better yet dangerous life? Or something else entirely?

“That’s... a lot to take in,” I muttered.

“I know,” he cooed. “I don’t expect you to understand everything right away. But I still need you to understand the gravity of the life you may be living from now.”

My hand moved lower to the back of his head, and he leaned into my touch. It was hard ...