When Her "Death" Couldn't Break Him (Cecilia and Nathaniel)

Only then did Jocelyn's mind catch up with her racing body.

"No. No," she repeated, more to herself than to him.

He drew her closer until no light could slip between them. "I missed you so much," he murmured. "Did you think about me while I was gone?"

The question tangled her tongue. She had no idea what to say.

During the past month, they had shared only sporadic messages-routine hellos that felt like postcards from strangers.

"Um, I guess," she finally said after a breath's hesitation.

He reached for the switch. Soft light flooded the room, and he stared down at Jocelyn with an intensity that stole her next breath.

Yannick lowered his head, ready to claim another soft kiss, when Jocelyn suddenly slipped from the circle of his arms and ducked away as though the air had turned too hot to breathe.

"When did you get back? Have you eaten yet?" Jocelyn blurted, weaponizing small talk to cover the nervous beat of her heart.

The abrupt distance pricked him with disappointment, but Yannick smoothed the feeling away before it could fully form, masking it behind a calm, easy smile.

"I just got in a little while ago. Haven't had a bite. How about you?"

home from work myself-no dinner yet. I'll cook something," she said, already escaping toward the kitchen

gap between them widen. Minutes later, the two of them stood shoulder to shoulder under the kitchen's warm

and meat, while Yannick dutifully washed greens at the sink,

an engaged couple ought to live together to learn the

home, they had never crossed the final boundary; theirs was an engagement conducted with cautious distance, a formality that sometimes felt more like polite

Go sit down and rest," Jocelyn urged, her lungs tightening at the thought of him

Yannick answered lightly, grin widening

wary silence broken only by the tap's running water and the

been the last month? Most women would have grilled me six ways from

his absence like a mystery to be solved, a loyalty test

you been up to these last thirty days?" Jocelyn asked,

distance in her question, recognized she was asking for his sake rather than her

old friend and wound up in more danger than I bargained for -came close to

hand paused mid-slice. She turned, eyes wide, the color draining from

her gaze, Yannick's chest

happened, do you think I'd be

shoulders. She resumed cutting, though

"Why would meeting a friend nearly get you

of Sven,