Chapter 59

Avery

Dinner had been quiet, comfortable in a way that still felt fragile and new—the kind of peace I'd learned to trust only cautiously, as though breathing too loudly might shatter it. Ryker had cooked again, something light and nourishing. He'd watched me eat with that careful attention that no longer felt intrusive, just… present. Caring.

Now we sat in the living room, the fire crackling softl