chapter 115

Kurtis’s POV

The phone buzzed, lighting up with her name. My heart took off like it had been waiting, hoping, for this exact moment. Lyra was calling me. The anticipation practically jolted me from the couch, and my hands shook slightly as I answered, trying to sound calm.

“Kurtis,” she breathed, and that one word held a weight that only she could give.

“Yes?” I kept my voice steady, but inside, my heart was pounding. “What’s going on, Lyra?”

“I... I need to see you,” she said, the hesitation laced with something more. “Tonight. At the Lucerne Hotel restaurant.”

I could barely contain my excitement, feeling like every second leading to tonight was both agonizing and electrifying. I didn’t know why she wanted to see me, but the way she sounded gave me hope. Something had changed, something big.

I spent the next hour trying to decide what to wear, not that it mattered to her – at least, that’s what I kept telling myself. I settled on a dark, tailored suit, the one I knew she liked, and