Liam was still holding my hand; I could feel his palm tense against mine. He repeated the word in a low, questioning tone. "Family?"
I stayed quiet for a long minute. I hadn't meant to say it out loud. The word felt heavy, like a relic from a life I’d buried years ago. "I haven't spoken to them in so long," I said quietly.
I pulled my hand away, the sudden loss of contact making me feel cold. I stood up to pace, the nervous energy humming in my limbs again. I wiped my face, trying to scrub away the tear tracks as Liam looked over at Wesley.
"You can be off for the night, Wes," Liam said. "Thank you."
As the front door clicked shut, the house felt even larger, the mountain silence pressing in against the windows. Liam walked over to me, his voice a soft anchor in the quiet room. "Come s
