Page 262 of Bound By Crimson

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“Of course.”

The engine rumbled softly to life.

She stared out the window for a while. Then it hit her.

“I don’t know where to go.”

Her voice cracked. She didn’t have family. Velora was an option, maybe—but Editha would find her there.

Grayson didn’t hesitate.

“It’s okay. I have a place we can go. It’s a long drive—near Miami. Big house by the ocean. Quiet. Safe. Are you ready for a road trip?”

She looked at him. His hands on the wheel. His voice calm. Steady.

“I’ll never hurt you, Lyric. Or Noah. You have my word.”

She felt her throat tighten.

The way he looked at her—like she was whole. Like she wasn’t ruined. Like she mattered.

“Okay,” she said.

He nodded.

“I packed snacks. There’s milk for the baby. Diapers. Blankets. We’ll stop wherever you need. Just say the word.”

Tears gathered in her eyes, but she blinked them away.

“You thought of everything?”

He smiled.

“I just wanted to be ready. Just in case you said yes.”

They drove in silence for a while, the hum of the tires filling the dark. Noah slept, snug in the car seat.

She looked back at him.

His tiny hand was curled near his cheek. His mouth slightly open. Chest rising and falling in a soft, perfect rhythm.

Peaceful.

Safe.

“We did it,” she whispered to him, fighting the tears forming in her eyes.

Then, softly—

“Lyric?”

She turned.

“I’m sorry you had to go through whatever you’ve been through. Maybe one day you’ll tell me. But I understand if you can’t. Not now.”

She didn’t speak, but something inside her eased.

Her shoulders dropped—just slightly.

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