Page 232 of Bound By Crimson
What She Didn’t Know
She went to Noah first.
It had only been one night, but it felt like a lifetime.
He was sleeping when she entered the nursery, but his eyes fluttered open the moment she touched his blanket.
He blinked at her, smiled, and reached up like he always did.
She held him close. Rocked him until the weight of the past twenty-four hours loosened its grip on her chest.
She whispered over and over:
“I’m sorry. I’m here. I love you.”
Noah didn’t cry. He never did when she held him.
He just looked at her like he understood everything.
She stayed until his little body relaxed completely against her, his breaths deep and even. Then she laid him down and stepped softly into the dark.
She headed to the garden—to the wall.
The moon was full, silvering the grass.
Grayson was already there.
She paused just short of the bench, surprised to hear his voice first.
“Hey,” he said gently. “Everything alright? I missed hearing you last night.”
He laughed softly, a little awkward.
“Didn’t realize I’d gotten used to talking to a wall every night. Kind of sad, huh?”
She let out a breath of a laugh. Soft. Almost soundless.
But it was real.
And hearing his voice felt like stepping out into sunlight after being underground too long.
“Sorry,” she murmured. “I just needed a night.”
“Hey, no pressure. I mean that. Just…” He stammered for a second. “I guess I got used to knowing you were there.”
She felt warmth rise in her chest. Not the dangerous kind. The kind that didn’t ask anything of her.
“Seriously though,” he added after a pause. “You alright?”
“Yeah,” she lied. “Just tired.”
There was a silence. Not awkward. Just thoughtful.
“You don’t have to tell me anything,” he said quietly. “I mean, you’re not like… the rest of them, I can already tell.”
Another beat. He added with a laugh:
“Besides, people who have big names and bigger estates—there are always stories. It’s just noise to me.”
