Draven.
"I like that sound," I murmured, surprising even myself with the softness of my voice. "Your laugh. You should let me hear it more often."
On the other end, Meredith fell quiet, and I imagined her cheeks warming, her lips pressed together to hide a smile. She always tried to guard herself, even from me.
"Don't flatter me, Draven," she said eventually, though her tone was lighter, teasing. "You will make me think you actually care."
A faint smile tugged at my mouth. "I wouldn't call it flattery if it's the truth. And as for caring… I thought I made it clear that night we bonded... Meredith, I don't say things I don't mean."
Her breath caught faintly, just audible over the line. The silence that followed was charged—not uncomfortable, but thick with the words she wasn't ready to say.
I leaned back against the headboard, staring at the ceiling as if I could see her face in the shadows above me.
"Do you know what I think about, when I'm away from you?" I asked quietly.
