Chapter 218 Chapter 218

Chapter 218 Chapter 218
TOR POV

"Did you tell him yet?" I ask her softly.

Her breathing is slow and even in the dim room next to me, but I know she's awake.

"Not yet."

I turn on my side and prop my head up on my arm.

"You have to tell him, Em."

"I know...I just don't want to hurt him. I don't think he'll understand."

I reach across the bed and touch her hand.

"He loves you. He'll understand. Trust me, he just wants you to be happy."

"I know...but I'm afraid he'll think it's like I'm leaving him in a way," she lets out a shaky sigh. "And I'm not. I just want to do my own thing. I'm always going to be Aiden's wife in Ashes & Elaras, you know? They think of me as a backup singer. People don't see me as anything else. In my own band, I'll be me."

She turns her head toward me.

"Does that make sense?"

"It does. You have to do what's good for you, Elara. You can't just be Aiden's wife and Kyra's mom—you have to be you, too. You're an amazing singer, and I think your own band will do awesome. An all-girl rock band is fuckin' kickass. I think he'll be proud of you."

"I hope so."

Sitting up, I squint at the digital clock next to their bed. It's almost five p.m.

"Do you feel any better?" I ask.

Earlier today she got sick to her stomach, became dizzy, and then fell in the kitchen. She's sure it's just the flu, but she asked me to stay with her while she rested in bed in case she felt sick again. Aiden's away for the weekend with his dad, but when I wanted to call him to let him know she was sick, she made me promise not to so he wouldn't rush home.

"A little bit. Just tired."

"You keep resting. I'll make Kyra some grilled cheese and keep her busy until bedtime. I'll check on you in a little while, okay?"

"I know I say this a hundred times a week, but I don't know what we'd do without you. You're always so good to us. Our other husband."

She smiles at the joke and rolls onto her side to sleep.

We have this joke where Ash and Elara call me their other husband. Usually it's funny.

Sometimes, it's not.

\---

Tor

Her skin is soft and warm from the shower, inviting every touch, and I can't get enough of her. She sighs beneath me, her fingers gripping my back as she arches into me. The way she feels—open, honest, completely there—makes everything between us burn brighter.

Rolling onto my back, I pull her with me, and she's already in sync, moving with an instinct that feels almost unreal. Slow, deliberate, like she's savoring every second. Every breath. Every connection.

There's no rush with her. No urgency to get somewhere else. Just this—us—existing in a moment that feels endless.

I'm completely caught in her.

No one has ever made me feel like this before. Not this scene. Not this wanted. Not this… chosen.

My hands tighten slightly at her waist, grounding myself in the reality of her being here. Because it almost doesn't feel real.

All the doubts. The complications. The weight of everything we're risking—it fades when I'm with her.

There's no way I'm letting this go.

Her soft sounds pull my focus back to her face, her eyes opening just as mine settle on her. That smile—it's the same one that changed everything years ago.

She leans down and kisses me, slow and full of meaning, and I feel it everywhere.

A week ago she told me she was born to be mine.

And I believe her.

\---

The beeping of her phone alarm cuts through the moment.

Reality.

She stirs, and I pull her closer under the light blanket. Her body is warm against mine, fitting like it belongs there. Diogee and Kitten are curled up at the foot of the bed.

This feels like a family.

And I hate that part of it leaves every night.

"I have to go, hon," she whispers, kissing my chest.

I groan and loosen my hold so she can get up and find her clothes. That familiar tightness settles in my chest as I watch her.

"I hate this, Kyra."

I swing my legs over the edge of the bed and pull on my sweatpants.

"I don't like it either."

"I want you sleeping with me all night and waking up with me. You leaving my bed feels like a hookup."

She pulls on her shirt and frowns at me.

"It's not like that, Tor."

"I can't do this forever."

"What are you saying?" Her voice wavers. "You want to break up?"

"Absolutely not."

I shake my head immediately.

"I'm saying I want you to live with me so you don't have to leave in the middle of the night."

She freezes, one leg in her jeans.

"Live with you?"

"Would you want to? If we can get through the wrath of Aiden?"

She steps into the other leg.

"I'd move in tomorrow if I could. Why do you think I'm here so much now?"

"To play with the pets?" I tease.

"Well, they are cute," she says with a small smile. "But you're much cuter."

"I'm going to ignore that," I say, shaking my head slightly. "I'm serious, Kyra. As soon as possible, I want you to move in with me. Will you think about it?"

She slips on her shoes.

"I don't have to think about it. I already know that's what I want."

"I still want you to think about it. It's a big decision. And we still have a lot to deal with. I just needed you to know that's where my head is."

I walk her out to her car and watch her drive off down the dark street.

Then I head back inside and lie down, waiting for the text that tells me she made it home safely.

This part—this distance every night—it’s starting to wear on me.

I want something normal. Something open.

I want to fall asleep with her and wake up with her without hiding.

And the longer we keep this a secret, the harder it's getting.