Page 233 of Bound By Crimson
Her mouth opened… then closed.
She looked up at the stars like they might answer for her.
Finally, she said it: “They’re not my family.”
Her heart pounded.
“I’ve just… kind of been stuck here.”
She braced herself for the silence that followed. For judgment. For suspicion. For the questions.
But none came.
Only his voice, soft and steady:
“You don’t have to explain unless you’re ready.”
And in that moment, she believed he meant it.
“I probably ramble on most nights,” he said with a sheepish laugh. “But it’s been a long time since I’ve talked to someone who feels real. You seem kind—and not in a fake way. That’s rare nowadays.”
Lyric wondered if she could actually trust him.
Even if she could… she could never tell anyone the full truth.
She had to protect Noah from all of that.
“I have a child,” she managed to say.
“You’ve got a kid?” he said, surprised—not mocking, just… interested. “That’s pretty amazing.”
He was quiet for a second. “Honestly,” he added quietly, “that just makes me like you more. I didn’t grow up with much. The idea of being someone’s whole world like that? That hits different.”
There was a pause.
“Tell me more. Boy or girl? What’s their name? How old are they?”
“His name is Noah,” she said proudly, and her voice caught with emotion. “And he is…”
She trailed off.
“He is…”
How old is he?
She didn’t know.
No calendars.
She didn’t even know how old her own baby was.
“I’ve gotta go,” she said quickly.
She turned, already walking.
“Wait—” Grayson called.
But she didn’t respond.
