Maria.
For a while… I didn't move.
I lay there quietly, my head resting against Noah's chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath my ear. His arm was wrapped securely around me, holding me close like he was afraid I might disappear if he loosened his grip even slightly.
It was… peaceful.
My fingers traced absent patterns against his shirt as my thoughts drifted. Everything that had happened, Galen, Adrien, Daniel… even Aidan…spun slowly in my mind, but for once, the noise felt distant.
Because right here… in his arms…I felt safe.
My eyes lifted slightly to look at his face.
He was asleep.
Completely.
His features relaxed in a way I rarely saw. No tension. No guarded expression. Just… calm.
A soft breath left my lips.
"I don't know how I feel, Noah, but all I know is I want to stay by your side." I muttered under my breath.
