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?"

from work myself-no dinner yet. I'll cook something," she said, already escaping toward the kitchen like salvation waited behind a cupboard

the gap between them widen. Minutes later, the two of them stood

of the refrigerator, she fumbled for vegetables and meat, while Yannick dutifully washed greens at the sink, stripping stems

this-his grandmother insisted that an engaged couple ought to live together to learn the rhythm of shared

sharing a home, they had never crossed the final boundary; theirs was an engagement conducted with cautious

back. Go sit down and rest," Jocelyn urged, her lungs tightening

answered lightly, grin

broken only by the tap's running water and

have grilled me six ways from

he'd had before treated his absence like a mystery

to these last thirty days?" Jocelyn asked, indulging the

her question, recognized she was asking for his

in more danger than I bargained for -came close to losing my life, actually," he said

paused mid-slice. She turned, eyes wide, the color draining from her cheeks. "You're not

her gaze, Yannick's chest warmed. He

had happened, do

loosened her shoulders. She resumed cutting, though

"Why would meeting a friend

heard of Sven,