Page 235 of Before Dawn

“My feet feel heavy,” I mumbled.

“Sit at the edge of the bed.” He guided me with a gentle pull. “Open your legs.”

His hands gripped my thighs, guiding my legs to wrap around his waist, and for a second, I let myself feel something other than anxiety.Safe.

“Now, jump,” he said, his smile both playful and reassuring.

I threw myself into his arms, and without a word, he carried me down the hall to the West Wing space he’d designed. As he set me down, I felt lighter. Then I froze.

On the far wall, a projector cast a soft glow. A fluffy floor bed lay on the ground, a blanket like the one I’d left behind draped over it, and movie snacks were scattered around, making it feel like its own little world.

I turned to Mikkel who was already smiling. “ABeauty and the Beastmarathon in your personal West Wing sounds fitting, right?”

I smiled, the first real one of the day. I nodded and without a word, snuggled into his chest.

“I’ve noticed how off you’ve been but, I also know you’ll talk to me when you’re ready. I’ll always be patient with you. In the meantime, I thought this might ease your mind.”

I closed my eyes, pressing closer. “You make everything lighter, Mikkel. You quiet my chaotic mind.”

He took my hands, grounding me. “Tu sonrisa186 became my sunrise, lighting up even my darkest days.Vuestra risa187is a melody I carry with me every day. Loving you is as natural as breathing, as vital as my heartbeat. I told you I’d always be here to calm your storms, and I meant it.”

“Te quiero,188” I whispered, my voice unsteady. “More than you can imagine.”

He kissed me—slow, deep, and full of meaning. Wrapped in blankets, we let the movies play in the background, but all I felt was him. As night blurred into dawn, one truth settled in my heart—Mikkel wasn’t just the man I loved. He was my anchor.

Tomorrow, I’d find the courage to tell him everything. I owed him that.

Warning

The following chapter contains heavy mentions of mental health/physical health issues. Please refer to the content warning list to be reminded of any potential triggers. Your well-being is important to me, so please take care of yourself while reading.

Chapter Fifty-six

Mikkel

“Love doesn’t just sit there, like a stone; it has to be made, like bread, remade all the time, made new.”

~ Ursula K. Le Guin

Monday morning hit with the weight of responsibility, the kind that settled in my bones before my first sip of water. The usual rush of work felt even more overwhelming this time.

My mind was stuck on Abigail. She wore a mask of despair, and no matter how much she assured me she was fine, I knew better. I just hoped she’d eventually let me in on the burden she carried. There was a hollow silence between us, and it was eating me alive.

As I walked into the office, my phone buzzed with a call from her.

“Hey.” Her voice trembled, wrapping around me like a fragile thread, barely holding together.

Why the fuck did it sound like she was crying?

“Hey, baby. Everything okay?”

“Can you come home early tonight?” Her voice was laced with an urgency that set off alarm bells in my chest.

“I was already planning to,mi reina.189”

“Good. I just need to talk to you about my anxiety, about everything.”

The way she spoke, so carefully, made my heart clench.

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