chapter 25

Kurtis’s POV

Lyra’s trembling breath warmed my chest, but I could feel the storm brewing beneath her calm exterior. Her concern for Angela was eating away at her, and as much as I wanted to be patient, the thought of losing what we had over her sister’s problems made my blood boil.

I held her tighter, trying to push away the frustration that threatened to overwhelm me. She was everything to me, and the idea that our happiness could be tainted by someone else’s misery was infuriating. I needed to make her see that our relationship was worth fighting for, even if it meant being a little selfish.

“Lyra,” I murmured against her hair, my voice low and filled with a raw edge of desperation, “I love how much you care about your sister, but you can’t let her problems consume you. We have something real, something special, and I won’t let anything, or anyone, oioooodestroy that.”

She looked up at me, her eyes glassy with unshed tears. “I just don’t know how to let go, Kurtis,” she whispered, h