~Alistair's POV~
Would he look at me with the same coldness I had shown him, realizing I never truly trusted him? Would he lose his love for me because I hadn't been his anchor when he needed it most?
I leaned in, my breath hitching, and pressed a soft, lingering kiss against his lips.
"I hope you understand," I whispered into the dark, my voice breaking. "I was like this because I loved you too much to share you. I was like this because I was terrified of losing you."
I wrapped my arms around him, pulling his heavy, sleeping frame against my chest, and closed my eyes, letting the distant sounds of his mother's screaming fade into the night.
****
I woke before him, the pale morning light filtering through the curtains, but I had no intention of moving. Instead, I tightened my grip, burying my face in the crook of his neck. The heavy, sharp anger of the day before had been replaced by a quiet, desperate need to be near him, even if he didn't know it yet.
