I stood in the middle of my living room long after Frank slammed the door, long after the echo of his threats faded. My hands were still trembling. My heart hadn't stopped pounding.
Edward turned to me slowly, eyes softening the moment he saw the fear I was trying so hard to hide.
"Leah," he whispered, stepping closer, "come here."
I didn't even think my body moved on its own, collapsing into his chest. He wrapped his arms around me instantly, holding me like he wanted to shield me from the entire world.
"I'm sorry," I breathed into his shirt. "I didn't mean for things to get this messy. I didn't want you caught in the middle."
He cupped the back of my head, pulling me even closer. "You're not dragging me anywhere I don't want to go."
"But Frank"
"I don't give a damn about Frank," he cut in, voice firm. "I only care about you."
The warmth of those words sank deep into my skin.
I pulled back slightly, searching his face. "You heard what he said. He's going to expose us. He'll do anything to destroy what we have."
Edward brushed his thumb across my cheek. "Then I'll stay. Right here. With you."
My breath hitched. "Edward"
"No more distance. No more hiding. No more nights where I'm wondering if you're crying behind closed doors." His eyes darkened with determination. "I'm moving in."
The world went silent.
Completely, utterly silent.
I blinked. "…What?"
He didn't smile. Didn't joke. Didn't soften.
He meant it.
"I'm moving in with you," he repeated. "Tonight."
I felt the air rush out of my lungs. "Are you serious?"
"Dead serious."
"But your apartment"
"I'll go get what I need. A bag. Clothes. My toothbrush." He shrugged. "Everything else can wait."
"But Edward this is huge."
"I know."
He stepped closer, his forehead touching mine.
"And I've never been more sure of anything."
His confidence hit me like a warm, steady wave. He wasn't doing this out of fear. Or panic. Or impulse.
He was doing it because he chose me.
Chosen.
Wanted.
Protected.
For someone who'd spent years begging for a man to see her, it was overwhelming.
I swallowed, voice shaking. "You really want to live with me?"
He smiled softly, gently, the kind of smile I wanted to frame. "I already spend half my time here. I sleep better here. I breathe better here. I want to wake up next to you every morning."
God.
This man was dangerous.
In the best possible way.
"Say yes," he whispered against my lips. "Let me stay."
I closed my eyes.
For the first time, the fear didn't outweigh the love.
"…Yes," I whispered. "Stay with me."
Edward let out a breath that sounded like pure relief. He lifted me by the waist, spinning me slightly before kissing me slow, deep, purposeful like he was sealing the promise with his mouth.
When he set me down, he rested his forehead against mine again. "I'll go grab my things. I won't be long."
As he turned toward the door, I grabbed his hand.
"Edward."
He looked back.
"Are you sure?" My voice cracked. "This is… real now. This is not just passion or heat or lust. This is a commitment. And it scares me."
He walked back, cupping my face in both hands.
"It scares me too," he admitted. "Because I've never cared like this."
"But I want this. I want you."
"Let me stay, Leah."
I nodded.
He kissed my forehead, then my lips, then left with one last lingering look.
Two hours later…
I was sitting on the edge of my bed, still trying to process everything, when I heard the lock turn.
Edward came in with a duffel bag over his shoulder and… a box of cereal.
I blinked. "Cereal?"
He shrugged. "It makes it feel official."
I laughed and God, I hadn't laughed in hours.
He dropped the bag and crossed the room, pulling me into his arms again. "Feels right," he murmured. "Being here."
And it did.
It really did.
He kissed me slow, tender, nothing hungry, nothing rushed.
"Where do you want my stuff?" he asked against my lips.
I pulled back, heat blooming in my chest. "Your things… go in my closet."
His eyes widened slightly. "Your closet? Not the guest room?"
"There's no guest room," I teased, lightly flicking his shirt. "There's our room."
He froze.
Then a slow, warm smile spread across his face one that shook me to my core.
"Our room," he repeated softly.
He kissed me again, deeper this time, hands sliding around my waist.
Everything shifted in that kiss.
It wasn't lust.
It wasn't just desire.
It was ownership.
It was devotion.
It was two lives tangling together without hesitation.
When we finally pulled apart, breathless, Edward whispered, "This is the best decision I've made in my life."
And standing there, wrapped in his arms, surrounded by the scent of rain still lingering on his clothes…
I believed him.
Our bond hadn't just deepened.
It had rooted.
Anchored.
Became something impossible to undo.
Edward was mine now.
And I was his.
No matter what storms came next.