Chapter 230: A Dream Beneath the Trees
Easter~
The drive had lulled Rose to sleep in the back seat, her small head resting against the side of her booster, curls bouncing slightly with each bump in the road. Her little lips were parted in a dream-induced smile, and I couldn’t help but stare at her. My baby. My miracle. The reason I’m still breathing.
I glanced at Tiger from the corner of my eye. His hands were steady on the wheel, his gaze focused forward, but there was something different about him today. His jaw was tense, and though he wasn’t speaking, I could sense something shifting beneath the surface—like an earthquake far below calm soil.
"We’re going into the woods?" I asked softly, breaking the silence that had settled between us like early morning fog.
Tiger only nodded, parking the car by a hidden trail. Trees lined both sides, towering high, their leaves whispering secrets in a breeze that smelled like moss and pine needles and something ancient.
"Yes," he said finally. "Our date’s inside the forest."
I blinked, caught off guard by his voice—so smooth, grounded, deeper than usual. Not just in sound. In weight. In meaning.
He stepped out first, circled to the back, and unbuckled Rose, cradling her tiny body against his chest. She stirred but didn’t wake. Then he turned to me and offered his hand.
"Come with me?"
I took it without hesitation, his palm warm and rough like bark. "Of course."
Tiger looked at me for a long moment before asking, "Do you trust me?"