Chapter 1056
Jude didn’t answer right away. The flicker in Layla’s eyes wasn’t just fear—it was the need for truth, something more raw than comfort. His silence stretched just a second too long, and that second said everything.
"I think they did," he finally murmured.
Layla’s jaw tightened, but she didn’t look away. Her fingers played with the edge of her sleeve like she was pulling thoughts loose. "Then why are we all pretending we didn’t?"
"Because it’s easier to carry the silence than what we might say aloud."
She frowned. "Even with each other?"
Jude looked past her shoulder into the trees. He thought he saw something move, a subtle displacement in the shadows, but when he blinked, there was nothing. Still, he felt it. That weight behind the branches. A pressure against his chest. He met her eyes again. "We’re not ready."
Layla studied him for a moment more, then nodded and leaned in, resting her forehead against his again. Their breaths synced. Heartbeats overlapping. She kissed him gently, slow and deep, her hand sliding up his chest. Her lips said things her voice didn’t want to—fear, trust, defiance, love. When they pulled apart, it was like the chill receded for just a moment.
"Let’s sleep in the treehouse tonight," she whispered. "Just us."
He nodded.
Back at the camp, the others were turning in. Some in pairs, some alone. Grace and Emma were curled in the hammock, whispering quietly. Natalie sat by the last dying embers of the fire, watching the flames with a strange look in her eyes, as if she too was listening to something no one else could hear.
Jude and Layla climbed the winding steps of the main treehouse slowly. The wood groaned beneath their weight, but it was familiar, lived-in. Safe. They stepped inside and shut the door gently behind them.