Charlotte’s POV
My family.
The words hit me square in the chest. I knew Kieran had only said it to make Rosa leave us alone and he didn’t really see me that way, but hearing him lump me and Nora together like we were a unit, like we belonged to him and he belonged to us, made something warm and stupidly hopeful unfurl behind my ribs.
I hated how much I liked hearing him say it out loud.
Family.
It was a word I hadn’t heard in a long time. A word I hadn’t even allowed myself to hope for, not since I watched my baby leave my body in a rush of blood and anguish.
I shook my head, dispelling the thoughts, and looked at Rosa.
Her face had gone as white as a sheet. With Kieran here and towering over her in the cramped hallway, she had lost all of her previous confidenc
