Page 130 of Symphony for Lies

“Take it easy,” a deep voice whispered beside me.

Zane. He was sitting in a chair right next to my bed, his strong hand wrapped around mine.

I pulled my fingers from his grasp, and his gaze dropped to his empty palm, lingering there for a moment, expression unreadable.

My eyes wandered through the room, taking in my fresh change of clothes and the damp cloth resting on my nightstand. Zane had taken care of me.

But he hadn’t taken care of himself.He was still wearing the same clothes from the day before. They were slightly damp in places. His hair had air-dried, and deep shadows lingered under his eyes.

“Thank you.”

He looked up, a tired smile flickering across his lips. “Nothing to thank me for.”

Silence settled between us.

It wasn’t awkward, but not exactly comfortable, either.

“How… did you know?” I finally asked, needing to understand how he found out about everything.

“I didn’t. I had no idea what had happened.” He rubbed a hand over his face, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I came because I was drowning in my own fucking misery. I just… needed to see you. To hold you. To be with you.”

His honesty made my chest tighten.

“I’m just glad I was here,” he continued. As if he were sealing a vow, he reached for my hand again. “And that you didn’t throw me out the second you saw me.”

I let him hold it for just a moment, then pulled away again. “Zane…”

“Amelia.” His voice was steady, unwavering. “I won’t give up. I know you think I betrayed you, but I’ll make it right. But that doesn’t matter right now. You have more important things to deal with.”

With quiet conviction, he added, “I’ll be your shadow. I’ll be here, watching you.”

I exhaled shakily. “And what if I don’t want you to?”

His breath hitched, but his eyes never wavered from mine.

“For the longest time…” He let out an almost bitter laugh, shaking his head slightly. “Wanting you feels like standing on the edge of a blade. Every step closer to you cuts me deeper. But walking away? That would fucking destroy me.”

A sharp ache pulsed in my chest.

“I don’t deserve you, Amelia, not after everything. If you walk away, I’ll let you. Hell, I should let you go now. But I won’t lie. I don’t know how to stop wanting you. How to stop needing you. You’re in my every breath and every damn second. No matter how much I try, I can’t let you go.”

“You’re right,” I finally whispered. “I need time.”

His breathing grew unsteady, but he nodded slowly.

At that moment, Ivy padded into the room, jumping onto my bed with a loud, rumbling purr. She curled beside me, pressing into my side as if she sensed I needed comfort.

“I can’t keep her.” My throat burned with admission.

“I’ll take her.”

I looked at him, surprised. “You would?”

“Yeah,” he said simply. “I’ll take her. I’ll take care of her.”

Ivy wasted no time leaping into his lap, rubbing her head against his chest as if she had already made her choice.

“Do you even know how to take care of a cat?”

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