Kurtis POV
I pushed open the front door, my heart pounding harder than I expected. Lyra was here. Every step toward her felt like walking through quicksand, each one heavy with the weight of everything left unsaid. I didn’t know how to handle this conversation. Hell, I wasn’t even sure what I was supposed to say.
As I stepped into the living room, I saw my aunt and cousin clearing away the dinner table. But none of that mattered, because there she was, sitting quietly at the table, pale and wide-eyed the second she saw me. Our eyes locked for a heartbeat, just long enough for me to feel the hesitation between us, before she quickly looked away, her hands fidgeting with the napkin in front of her.
“Kurtis.” My aunt’s voice broke through the silence, warm as always, but she could read th
