Page 145 of Bound By Crimson
She turned toward him, stretching lazily. “I know.”
He shifted to face her more fully, brushing a thumb over her cheek. “So, what are you thinking?”
She hesitated. “I… like Noah.”
He blinked, repeating it aloud as if tasting it. “Noah.”
It felt fragile the way he said it. Like glass in a man’s mouth.
“It’s soft,” he added carefully. “Don’t you think?”
She felt her spine tighten just slightly. “It’s gentle. Strong in its own way.”
Kai sat up a little more, the sheets rustling around him. “I’ve actually been thinking of something more… grounded. Classic. Something with weight.”
She already knew what was coming. The chill ran through her like instinct.
“Edwin,” he said.
Her chest ached, but she forced her face to stay calm.
“It’s a family name,” Kai continued. “My mother thought it would suit him—said it’s strong. Noble. Her first name is Editha—Editha Thornwick. She says a strong name builds a strong legacy. And she would know.”
“Or Edmund,” he added casually. “She said that would be fitting too.”
There it was.
That word—legacy
The name tasted like dust in her mouth.
She pulled the sheet higher over her chest and turned onto her side, hiding her face.
“That’s a lot of tradition for a baby,” she said softly, hoping it would land as gentle deflection.
Kai didn’t laugh. “It’s not just tradition.It’s legacy.”
She almost spoke. Her lips parted.
This isn’t your mother’s child.
But she looked at him—so assured, so certain—and swallowed the words.
He smiled then, like it was decided. “Edwin Thornwick. You can picture it, right? It sounds like someone destined for something great.”
She nodded, barely.
“Sure,” she murmured. “It’s a strong name.”
He leaned over, kissed her temple. “Then it’s settled.”
When he rose from bed and disappeared into the bathroom, Lyric stayed where she was—cold under warm sheets.
Edwin.
Editha.
The names clung to each other like ivy around a crypt.
