Page 32

C hapter 32

Naya

I swallow harshly, but it feels as if lava is trickling down my insides, scorching me up alive. I can’t move, can’t breathe, can’t even think as I stare at the two of them inside the same space I’m in now.

“Naya, this is Aurora and Asher,” Everlee cheerfully says, not noticing the tension rolling through me.

“H-hi,” I stammer.

Aurora beams at me, her cheekbones full and her face healthy. She looks better than she did at Grimhill Manor, where nutrition was scarce. I can’t seem to move, feeling the panic washing over me in huge waves until it feels as if I’m gasping for breath. The urge to run away fills me, to hide for the rest of the evening and not return until our guests have left, but from what Everlee told me, they will be staying the weekend as they live a few hours away from here.

You can do this, I try telling myself, fidgeting with a rubber band around my wrist—another trick Camila taught me. I pull at it, and the sting against my skin brings me back to the present, where I dare face Aurora.

She walks up to me, her stride graceful. “It’s so good to see you,” she tells me.

I don’t know if she recognizes me from Grimhill Manor, but the look in her eyes shows a deep understanding between the two of us, hinting that she does know.

“You too,” I reply, if not awkwardly.

Grey greets the man—Asher—whose eyes seem brighter than the fury he showed those years ago at Grimhill Manor.

“Hot chocolate, anyone?” Everlee asks, and we follow her into the kitchen.

Beside the kitchen and inside the living room is a beautiful Christmas tree, not yet decorated as Everlee wanted to decorate it together.

She offers each of us a cup of hot chocolate, and we settle down into the couches before the stone hearth, where a fire is already crackling, sending heat through the room, which is necessary after what Grey and I did. A faint blush creeps up my cheeks.

“How have you guys been?” Everlee directs her question to Aurora and Asher with genuine interest.

“Things are going great,” Aurora replies happily.

Asher grabs Aurora’s hand and lays it in his lap, and it’s at that moment I notice the glittering ring delicately wrapped around her finger.

“Are you married?” I ask, out of pure curiosity.

Aurora looks lovingly at Asher. “Engaged. We’re planning our wedding.”

Conversation fades out as I feel Grey leaning down, whispering in my ear. “What would you say about a ring around your finger?”

I sputter on my breath—luckily, no one notices—and look back at Grey with wide eyes. “Are you joking?” He must be—he’s never brought up marriage before.

“Does it look like I’m fucking joking, little doll? I want to put a ring on your finger and fill you with my babies. That way, you have no choice but to stay with me,” he smugly says.

“Babies?” I squeal, loud enough for everyone to hear. Their heads turn toward me, but quickly continue their conversation as I scowl at Grey. “You don’t have to put a ring on my finger to get me to stay with you,” I finally murmur.

“No, but it’d show my ownership to everyone else.” He casts me a wink.

I try to focus on the conversation at hand, but it’s nearly impossible with Grey behind me. I’m in his lap, feeling his bulge pressing into my ass while the others are none the wiser.

I meet Everlee’s eyes across the other couch, Draven’s arm draped over her shoulder. Her eyes glisten with unshed tears, and I stare back at her, eyebrows furrowed.

“I just…I could never imagine spending Christmas like this, with all of you. It’s more than I could have ever hoped for back at Grimhill Manor, and I’m so grateful,” she says in reply to my confused expression, her voice thick with emotions.

Draven’s shoulder tenses at her uneasy demeanor, staring her down, but he quickly conceals it.

“Neither could I,” Aurora replies, her eyes distant, though a small smile softens her youthful face. “I never thought I’d see you again, Naya,” she says as she turns to address me, which leaves me stunned.

“You know my name?” I ask, feeling foolish.

She smiles. “Of course I know your name—the girl who always sneaked away. I usually ignored everyone at Grimhill Manor to live in my own bubble, but I took notice of you. I never paid any attention to your eyes though,” she speaks freely from her mind, leaning forward to inspect my eyes.

I shift uncomfortably in my seat, causing Grey to release a faint growl.

“Ah…yeah,” I reply awkwardly. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this awkward before, but it feels nice being around other people.

We’ve all endured the same trauma, deepening the bond between us. I feel a friendship slowly growing, even though we won’t be here to see it bloom entirely.

Not knowing what else to say, I speak out loud. “Did you hear that Grimhill Manor burned down?”

Now it’s Aurora’s and Asher’s turn to shift uncomfortably. My eyebrows raise.

“What is it?”

The room thickens with a tension between the four of them, as if they know something we don’t. It feels surreal being in the same room as my roommate at Grimhill Manor, and the woman who always was so absorbed in her books—the master’s favorite doll. We’re all grown up, healthier, and better mentally.

My eyes shift to Asher, his tousled hair covering one of his amber-colored eyes. He’s donned a warm sweater and a pair of black khaki pants, and he looks anywhere but at me. He’s the one who killed Frederick Grimhill—officially ending the trafficking ring and setting us free.

“Speaking of that…” Everlee trails off.

“What?” I ask again, a nervous flutter in my chest.

“Asher and I…we burned down Grimhill Manor. Erased the demons,” Aurora whispers.

Asher’s hardened eyes meet mine as he embraces Aurora, waiting for judgment, but I can’t offer any. All I feel is a relief, an insane amount of gratitude for this man I don’t even know.

“Thank you,” is all I can say, hoping all my gratitude shines through my words.

His shoulders sag in relief at my words, nodding curtly.

“It’s time to decorate the tree!” Everlee exclaims excitedly.

We all stand up, making our way to the bare Christmas tree and the box beside it. Together, we laugh and drink our hot chocolates, dancing to the Christmas music playing through the speaker Draven put on, and decorate the tree. I haven’t felt so at ease in a long time, looking at the lights from the tree twinkling as it casts a warm glow across the room.

Everlee places a delicate star on the top of the tree, Draven lifting her up so that she can reach it. Grey’s arm wraps firmly around my waist, pulling me even closer to me.

A serene sensation fills me. This—this is what happiness looks like, in the arms of the man I love, surrounded by friends who share the same burdens. Here, all the darkness falls away after years of living in it, and I can only see the light at the end of the tunnel now.

This feels like home, one I never thought I would find, and yet here we are.

Grey leans down to kiss me, and I let the joy of the moment inside my soul, storing it inside me to remember when things feel tough.

“I love you,” he whispers, and I echo the words.

Yes, this is home.

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THE QUIETNESS FEELS PEACEFUL as we finally retreat to our room for the night, having enjoyed a long evening together with Everlee, Draven, Aurora, and Asher. Everyone has gone to sleep, leaving only me and Grey awake.

The fire crackles in the stone hearth, eliciting a warm and comfortable atmosphere in the room.

“I got something for you,” Grey whispers in my ear. “A Christmas gift.”

“But I didn’t get you anything,” I tell him, disappointed.

“Don’t worry. It’s not something I bought.”

His cryptic words only make me more curious as to what it is.

“Sit on the bed and close your eyes,” he instructs, and I do as he says.

I hear movement of fabric before the vibrations of his footsteps resonate through the wooden floor. Then he grips my hand, holding it out before laying something in my hold. It’s a paper of some kind.

“Open your eyes,” he whispers, leaving a nervous flutter inside my stomach.

I look down at the letter in my hands, tears brimming my eyes as I see his handwriting on it.

I’m not the romantic kind, but bear with me.

The first day I saw you, you looked so lost, trying to find some place to sit in the cafeteria—a lost little lamb wandering through a forest full of hungry wolves. Your eyes clashed with mine across the room, and for a second, I didn’t know how to breathe. When you sat down with us, breathing became impossible as I stared into those beautifully mismatched eyes. In them, I recognized a kindred soul, mirroring my own. You asked all those stupid questions of where you were, and I couldn’t help but laugh. You were different, yet you called to me in a way I had never known. You struck me like lightning striking a tree, setting my insides on fire with the knowledge that I could never be untouched by you.

From that moment forward, I was utterly, foolishly lost in your depths.

Before you, I hated myself—an utter failure that had fucked up in life, locked inside a psych ward. But day by day, you pieced together the shattered pieces of my tainted soul and made me whole again. You loved me when no one else did, and most importantly, you made me love myself. I am nothing without you.

All we’ve been through, the trauma we’ve survived, all proves to me what a strong woman you’ve grown to become. I know things are tough for you, this recovering bullshit—I see the tiredness in your eyes and how it haunts your mind. Sometimes, you wish you could just give up, but I know you won’t. You’re the strongest person I know.

Yes, my darling love, you have corrupted my soul, ruined me for anything else.

I choose you, Naya. Over and over again. Until death do us apart—and even then, I will find you. When death claims us, I will hold your hand and never let go. It’s you and I, forever.

My demons call to yours, and I feel you.

My little tainted serenity

Yours,

Grey xx

My heart squeezes inside my chest. Words are lost on me as Grey leans down, leaving a trail of kisses in his wake.

Our love burns brightly, guiding us home even when the chaos absorbs us. And as he lies above me, our hearts connect in a dancing storm as the chaos of our minds fades away, belonging to each other forever and more.