Chapter 248. Invite Me In

Aurora’s POV

As soon as I gently closed the door to Riley’s room, the air around me felt lighter than it had a few minutes ago. Maybe it was the sheer weight of emotions I had tried to bottle up while Riley’s wide, innocent eyes stared back at me, asking questions I couldn’t give answers to—at least, not yet. But thanks to Ashton’s explanations, the tension had now dissipated and Riley was sound asleep on his bed.

Ashton stood silently beside me in the dim hallway, his arms loosely crossed and his gaze fixed on the floor as though lost in thought. I watched him for a moment, tracing the line of his jaw, the slight furrow between his brows. It was the silence of someone who had just carried a fragile truth across a tightrope and miraculously made it to the other end.

I leaned against the wall, letting out a long, trembling sigh. “Ashton,” I began, my voice barely above a whisper. He looked up immediately, eyes warm and patient, waiting for me to continue.