Chapter 21: Closer
Chapter 21 – Lenora POV
It’s minuscule—but it’s progress.
And for me, that’s everything.
I hold onto that tiny spark like it’s a lifeline, let it soak into my bones and soften the ache that’s lived in my chest since the moment I brought him here.
He came to me. Sat beside me. Spoke first.
He didn’t flinch when our legs touched. He didn’t walk away.
In fact...
I think he stayed just a little longer than he meant to.
The porch swing creaks behind me as I stand, still feeling the ghost of his presence in the air beside me. My fingertips tingle with the echo of closeness, with the electricity of what could be—if I’m patient enough. Brave enough.
I walk inside the cottage quietly, careful not to wake Dad in the next room. He’s been giving us space, pretending not to notice the thick, awkward tension that hangs between Cameron and me like storm clouds waiting to burst. But I know he sees it. He always does.