***VERA***

The night was still, broken only by the quiet hum of the fire crackling in the corner of the room. I lay there, my head resting against Conry’s chest, listening to the slow, steady rhythm of his heartbeat. It was a sound I had come to find comfort in—a rhythm that held me in place when everything else tries to shatter me.

His fingers traced slow circles against my back, but there was a weight in his touch tonight—it felt restrained, as if he was in deep thoughts about ...