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

Her reflexes yanked her hand free. Under the bedside glow, her eyes darted everywhere but his face, as if the air itself had grown too tight to breathe.

"I... I'd rather wait until after the wedding. It just feels right that way."

Seeing her fear, Yannick eased back, palms lifting in surrender. "All right, whatever you say. You must be tired. Get some sleep—I'll finish the bed myself."

She shook her head once, tucked the corners with meticulous care, then slipped out, soft footsteps swallowed by the hallway.

Yannick sprawled across the mattress afterward, staring at the ceiling as if it hid answers. He turned left, right, left again-sleep refused to come.

His phone lit up. On the screen blinked Calvin's text: "Why aren't you picking up?"

During dinner he'd been laughing with Jocelyn, phone muted, time erased. He'd never noticed Calvin's calls.

He thumbed redial without thinking, pulse thudding in the hush.

"Hey, Calvin, what's up?"

"Took you long enough," Calvin said, worry outweighing annoyance.

in. Phone was across the room-didn't hear a

exhaled, tension bleeding

did with Sven. Anything you ever need, the Lindbergs

on, you and

truth, the three men were friends

Calvin sounded ready to end the

you ever come back

smoke, before Calvin finally

when

closed door. A long beat later, he muttered, "Let's hope that

to mean? Did something happen

be: both he and Yannick

A soft, self-deprecating laugh. "You know me-born to roam, never pictured marriage. Now it's racing toward

her, build a life, have a

you preach. Find

then fell quiet-each man staring into a different darkness imagining futures that felt both near and

and stared at the

knot form in his chest. If her walls stayed