Page 41 of The Captain's Curfew

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We clink glasses.

Just like that, it’s done.

When I walk into the apartment later, Violet is curled up on the couch in one of my hoodies, half-asleep with a book in her lap.

She blinks up at me."Hey."

"Hey."

I kick off my shoes, hang up my jacket, and make my way over to her.

"You okay?"she asks.

"Yeah.Declan and I talked."

Her eyes search mine."And?"

"We’re good.He gave us his blessing.More or less."

A slow smile spreads across her face, and she holds out her arms.I sink into them without hesitation.

"Told you it’d be okay," she murmurs.

"You did."

And for once, I’m glad she was right.

The next few days are some of the best I can remember.

We don’t change much—we still keep things relatively quiet in public, still have our own routines—but the shift is there.Subtle, sure, but constant.A hand on my arm when she walks by.A kiss pressed to my jaw when she thinks no one’s looking.A look exchanged across a crowded room that says,I see you.I’ve got you.

I’ve always thought leadership was about control.About setting the standard.About making sacrifices.

But maybe it’s also about knowing when to bend.When to trust the people around you to hold the line with you.

Maybe strength isn’t silence.

Maybe it’s love.

Maybe it’s Violet.

And if that’s true?

Then I’ve never been stronger than I am right now.

TWELVE

Violet

I don’t realize how much tension I’ve been holding in until I hear Logan’s voice as he walks through the door that night.

"We’re good," he says."He gave us his blessing."

And just like that, my entire body exhales.

I didn’t even know I was bracing for heartbreak until the fear finally slipped away.

Declan knows.And he didn’t explode.Didn’t forbid it.Didn’t threaten to body-check Logan into next week.

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