warmth from the tea seeped into her cold fingers, but it was nothing compared to the chill that lingered between them. Kael watched her from across the room, his arms folded, eyes unreadable.

d of rain and heavy breathing. Kael stepped closer. "Look at me, Zaya. I'm not perfect. I'm flawed, scarred, but I'm here. I'm not going anywhere." Her heart beat faster, conflicted between anger and something deeper-hope. "I want to fix this. Us. But you have to let me in." Zaya shook her head, tears welling up. "I don't know if I can." He reached out, his hand trembling slightly as it brushed her cheek. "Then let me help you find the strength." For the first time in weeks, she didn't pull away. The rain outside softened to a drizzle as the tension between them began to dissolve. Zaya's breath hitched, a shiver running down her spine-not from the cold, but from the vulnerability unfolding between them. Kael's eyes searched hers, raw and honest. "We both have scar