The silence that followed Liam’s vow was a physical thing, a thick, protective blanket that finally let my heart slow to a normal rhythm. I stayed tucked against his side, the phone still pressed to my ear, listening to the static and the sound of my sister’s uneven breathing.
“Sarah? Are you still there?” Jasmine’s voice cracked. “I just… I can’t believe it. I mean, I can, but hearing you say it out loud? Hearing you sound so… solid. It’s more than I hoped for.”
“I’m here, Jaz. I’m really here,” I murmured. I looked out the window where the golden hour was beginning to fade into the soft violets and deep blues of a New York twilight. Beyond the trees of the estate, the distant skyline of the city felt like a world I had already outlived.
“Good. Because Mom and Dad have been driving me
