-Julien Grayson:
It had been two weeks.
Two long, quiet, full weeks that felt like they existed outside of time itself—as the world beyond this house had simply… paused, waiting for me to come back to it.
I hadn't.
My phone stayed somewhere in the house, forgotten on purpose. I hadn't turned it on. I didn't read the messages. I didn't answer the calls. I didn't give them anything.
And I knew.
I knew they were losing their minds.
The thought should've made me feel worse than it did.
And yeah… maybe there was a small part of me that felt guilty. A quiet, persistent tug somewhere in my chest that whispered they're your family. That reminded me of how they used to look at me, how they loved me.
But then I remembered.
The way they had stood there.
The way they had known.
The way they had let my mate walk away from me.
And just like that, the guilt didn't stand a chance.
So no—I didn't regret it.
Not when I looked at him.
