Ashley sniffled as her sobs softened, her brows rising.
What did he say?
She wiped her eyes and pulled back from his chest, looking up at him — eyes still glistening, corners red, lashes damp. Even the tip of her nose was red from crying.
"Huh?"
Lucian exhaled and reached up to wipe the corner of her eye with his thumb.
"Sorry," he murmured, only for her to catch his wrist.
"Why are you sorry?" she hiccuped. "Lucian, just now you said… what?"
Despite the tears still clinging to her eyes, something else gleamed in them. Expectation. Surprise. Hope — all tangled together.
"You said…?"
Lucian's lips parted, but no sound came out right away. He held her gaze, one hand cupping her cheek, his thumb brushing it gently, his other hand holding hers.
Slowly, he leaned in. His lips touched her forehead, then her cheek, the corner of her eye, her nose, and finally her lips. Each kiss softer than the last — unhurried and quietly comforting.
