The house was quiet when they arrived.Jayden glanced at Ivy as she unlocked the front door. Her fingers trembled just slightly, and her jaw was set in that stubborn line he was beginning to understand meant she was bracing for pain. Ivy had been through so much—more than anyone ever should—and he had added to it."I'll follow your lead," he said gently, placing a hand on her back as they stepped inside.The moment they entered, the scent of home wrapped around them—warm wood, faint cinnamon, and a hint of something sweet that always clung to Xander's clothes. The house wasn't grand, but it was safe. Lived-in. The kind of place where love had been carefully rebuilt, piece by fragile piece."Mommy!" a tiny voice called from the living room.Jayden felt Ivy freeze.Xander came sprinting around the corner in a blur, his tiny arms ready to hug her—but the second he saw Jayden, he skidded to a stop.His bright eyes darkened. "Why is he here? Momma, And why did you come late miss Molly had to take me home"Ivy knelt, opening her arms. "Baby… I'm sorry."Xander didn't move."He made you cry," he said, fists clenched. "I heard you that night. You thought I was asleep, but I heard everything. I don't want him here."Jayden swallowed hard, guilt pressing on his chest like a boulder."I deserve that," he said softly, crouching down to Xander's level. "You're right to be angry. I hurt your mom. I was scared, and I acted like a coward. But I promise you… I never stopped thinking about you."Xander's lip wobbled. "You didn't come back.""I know," Jayden whispered. "And that's something I'll regret for the rest of my life. But I'm here now. Not because I have to be. But because I want to be. For you. For both of you."Ivy watched silently, her arms around Xander now. He hesitated, then slowly let his head fall against her shoulder."I'm still mad," he mumbled."That's okay," Ivy said, kissing his temple. "You have every right to be."Jayden sat back on his heels, giving them space. But a few minutes later, when Xander peeked up at him, the ice in his little gaze had started to melt."Are you gonna leave again?" he asked."No," Jayden said, with the weight of a vow in his voice. "Not ever again."Xander was quiet. Then, shyly, he reached out—and touched Jayden's bandaged hand.It was small. Barely a brush.But it was enough to shatter the wall between them.Ivy's throat tightened with emotion as Jayden leaned forward and pulled Xander into a hug. For the first time in days, she felt something loosen in her chest. Maybe this could still work. Maybe there was still hope.The rest of the evening passed in a blur of gentle laughter and whispered apologies. They sat on the couch together—Xander nestled between them, eating cookies and telling Jayden about the cartoons he liked. For the first time in a long time, Ivy let herself relax.They were safe. Together. Whole.Later, once Xander had fallen asleep in his bed upstairs, Jayden stood quietly by the window. Ivy walked over, arms wrapping around his waist from behind."You were good with him," she murmured.He turned, looking down at her with something fierce and warm in his eyes. "He's already mine. I didn't need blood for that."She cupped his face. "Neither of us needed saving. But somehow… you came back."Jayden leaned in, his voice husky. "I never stopped wanting you. Even when I hated myself for it."Ivy's breath caught as he kissed her—slow, searching, and filled with regret and longing. It wasn't rushed. It wasn't just desire.It was something deeper. A reconnection.Their lips moved in rhythm, and Jayden's hands slipped beneath the hem of her shirt, fingers splaying across her back like he was memorizing her all over again.She gasped as he lifted her gently, carrying her to the couch like she weighed nothing. Moonlight streamed through the window, casting them in silver as he laid her down and kissed a path down her neck, his breath hot and trembling.Ivy let go—of her walls, her pain, the fear. In his touch, she found something she thought she had lost forever: trust. His hands mapped her skin like a man finally finding home. Her nails dragged down his back, earning a groan that made her heart stutter.They moved together in a slow, aching rhythm—two souls who had been broken and were now, somehow, healing in each other.Afterward, tangled in the warmth of his arms, Ivy rested her head on his chest. Jayden brushed his fingers through her hair, pressing soft kisses to her forehead."I love you," he murmured, like it hurt to admit. "Even if it took me too long to say it."Tears welled in Ivy's eyes. "I love you too."The moment should have been perfect.But then—like a cold wind across her skin—she heard it again.That voice.Low. Whispered. Twisting through her mind like smoke."You're not done yet, Ivora. They're coming."She stiffened.Jayden felt it instantly. "What is it?"Her heart pounded. "I heard it again. The voice."Jayden's expression darkened with worry.And somewhere in the forest, shadows moved.
