Page 65 of Bound By Crimson
“You deserve beauty,” he’d whispered, brushing his lips against her cheek.
She smiled. She always did.
He was good at grand gestures.
But when Easter arrived, it passed without a word.
No mention of dinner. No flowers.
Not even a nod to the day.
Back home, her parents would’ve been up early. Her mom dyeing eggs in pastel bowls of vinegar-stung water, her dad sneaking jelly beans before breakfast.
They’d laughed. Cooked together. Watched old movies in their pajamas.
It wasn’t about the eggs or the candy. It was about being together.
About caring enough to pause.
When she mentioned it, Kai shrugged. “We never really did holidays growing up. We had what we wanted, when we wanted it. If there’s something you need—just tell me. I’ll get it.”
That was the thing.
He could give her anything.
Except the things that couldn’t be bought.
During the day, Thomas often drove her to appointments. Shopping. Charity events. Even just aimless drives through the city when the walls felt too close.
“Where to, Miss Dawson?” he would ask, always patient.
“Anywhere,” she sometimes answered.
Anywhere but here.
Loneliness crept in like a silent guest.
Not for lack of people. There were always people.
But none who truly knew her.
None except—
Rowan.
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Rowan had appeared months ago with the glam team, but Lyric hadn’t been ready then. Now, as late June settled heavily over the city, she finally reached out.
She stared down at her phone, thumb hovering over the screen, eyes resting on Rowan’s last message.
During the two years they hadn’t spoken, Rowan had tried—texts, calls, quiet check-ins that Lyric had rarely answered. Eventually, she’d respected the silence and stopped.
But her final message had lingered.
“Call me when you’re ready. I’ll always answer.”
Today, Lyric was ready.
