Page 149 of Code of Heart

She shook her head and returned his smile. “No questions. Thank you.”

He lingered for a moment, then tapped a finger against his temple and heart. “Remember…sometimes it’s the wounds youcan’tsee that take the longest to heal.”

Aurelia swallowed hard.Isn’t that the truth?

She hadn’t told anyone about the new nightmares. Their intensity was far worse than the ones she had before the attack. They were near-nightly episodes that woke her screaming, soaked in sweat, Levi bursting through the door to comfort her with his warm hands and soothing voice.

She also hadn’t told anyone that they continued to sleep separately.

“I’ll include a therapist referral in your paperwork,” Dr. Pacheco added quietly. “They specialize in trauma like this…just in case.”

Her throat tightened. “I…thank you. I appreciate it.”

He gave her a small, knowing nod and stepped out of the room, leaving her alone with the quiet hum of the fluorescent lights.

By the time she gathered her things and made it to the parking lot, the ache in her chest had only grown heavier. On the drive home, she let her thoughts wander.

It should have felt like a victory ditching the boot and air cast at last. But instead, frustration gnawed at her. Her thumb instinctively brushed against her left ring finger, expecting to feel the smooth band of her wedding rings.

There was nothing.

Her stomach clenched. She had done this exact same thing countless times in the last two months, and every time, it still surprised her to feel nothing there.

She never told Levi how much those rings had meant to her. That he had designed them for her, chosen a style that was everything she could have wanted without even asking. Simple, meaningful. Perfect.

She had always thought lavish jewelry was wasteful, preferring a handful of cherished pieces instead. And somehow, Levi understood that before she ever said a word.

The rings weren’t the only thing missing.

There was still the matter of their sleeping arrangements.

They hadn’t spoken about it, but Levi hadn’t once shared her bed since moving back in. Night after night, he stayed upstairs in the spare bedroom, quietly keeping his distance.

He said he wanted to earn her forgiveness, and while she had agreed, she hadn’t expected this.

She hadn’t expected the separation between them to ache more than her physical wounds.

What is wrong with me?

The frustration boiled over. With a low, growling curse under her breath, she yanked the car over to the side of the road. She wasn’t going home yet.

This…this needed to be resolved. Now.

With a fresh cup of tea in front of her, Aurelia let her eyes wander over the familiar kitchen, the soft warmth of the space seeping into her bones. She had almost forgotten how soothing this place was. How Estrella’s presence could quiet even the loudest storm in her mind.

But not today. Today, the storm raged on.

“I must admit,” Estrella began, settling gracefully across from her, “I was a little surprised to receive your call. But I’m happyyou’re here and looking well.” Her sharp, knowing eyes swept over Aurelia with a look that saw far more than the surface. “Although youappearphysically healed, I suspect there are wounds here—” she tapped her temple, “and here—” her fingers pressed lightly over her heart, “—that still need tending.”

Aurelia swallowed hard. That wasn’t an accusation. It was the truth.

She hated how hard it was to ask for help, how foreign it felt to even sit here and try to talk about this. But after driving aimlessly for nearly an hour, her hands seemed to steer the car here all on their own.

“I guess…” she began, fingers tracing the rim of her teacup, “I need help sorting through some things with Levi. But the truth is…I’m having a tough time figuring out whatIwant.”

Estrella simply sat in patient silence, her eyes kind and unflinching.

Aurelia huffed out a breath. “I’m sure you remember how fabulously that wedding went,” she deadpanned, earning the barest twitch of a smile from Estrella. “And everything that’s happened since…” Her voice faltered, Estrella’s expression darkening with a flicker of protective fury.