The Cost of Choosing You

Slowly, he moved—kneeling before her. His hands closed around hers, firm, almost desperate, as if letting go would mean losing her entirely. His eyes locked on hers, no walls, no armor—just the raw, unguarded man beneath.

“Lyra… you’re the first person I’ve ever truly loved. Something I never thought I had the right to feel. It wasn’t duty. It wasn’t expectation. It wasn’t forced. It was mine. Re