Kimberly
The soft ticking of the clock was the only sound that filled the room.
I lay curled against Kendrick’s chest, wrapped securely in his arms, feeling the steady thud of his heartbeat beneath my ear. His warmth enveloped me, steady and constant, unlike the wild storm he used to be.
It was strange — strange and terrifying — how safe I felt now.
For so long, Kendrick had been a force I feared. A tyrant who held my fate in his hands without mercy. I had built walls inside myself to withstand him, to survive the life that had been forced upon me.
And now… now he was the one cradling me like I was the most precious thing in the world.
I closed my eyes tightly, fighting the sudden wave of emotion that rose in my chest.
He had changed.
Goddess, he had changed so much.
I had seen g
