“She’s recovering from surgery. She’ll be okay.”
“I had no idea she had a surgery,” Ryker says.
Something in my chest tightens at that. Norah kept my secret.
I want to march right into that bedroom and kiss her. She knew how important it was for my mother to keep this a secret, and she did.
I’m so fucking grateful.
“It happened just the other day. I’ve been checking up on her, and it has been going better so far,” I explain.
“Glad to hear that,” Ryker says.
“Amber didn’t answer,” Jude says. “I left a voicemail.”
They exchange looks, then nod. “Let’s get her snacks ready,” Ryker says.
We turn toward the counter.
Footsteps sound behind us.
Bare.
Soft.
We all turn at once.
Norah stands in the doorway.
Naked.
Unselfconscious. Disoriented. Beautiful in a way that hurts.
Her hair falls loose around her shoulders. Her skin glows warm and flushed. Her eyes are heavy-lidded, searching the room like she’s orienting herself after a long dream.
“You left,” she whispers. The words slice straight through me.
“No,” I say immediately, stepping toward her. “We’re right here.”
Her gaze locks onto mine, relief flickering across her face before her knees wobble. Ryker moves at the same time I do, steadying her from the side.
“I thought…” she murmurs, frowning. “I thought you were gone.”
“Not a chance,” Jude says softly.
She exhales, melting into us, fingers curling into my wrist like an anchor.
She’s so warm.
So real.
So here.
And I know, with absolute certainty, that whatever comes next, whatever shape this takes, there’s no going back to the way things were before.
Not for any of us.
I’m standing close enough to feel the heat rolling off her when Jude moves first.
