Eva's hands trembled slightly at her sides, and her lips parted like she was about to speak—but then she hesitated again.
Her heart was pounding so hard it was beginning to drown out her thoughts.
Liam hadn't moved, hadn't looked away. He was still right there, holding her gaze as though she were the only person in the world.
Why did it feel so safe?
That thought echoed through her, unexpected and soft. Warm, even.
She lowered her gaze for a moment, trying to pull herself together. But every time she inhaled, she caught the faint scent of his skin—calm, earthy, and inexplicably comforting. Her knees felt weak.
'Why do I trust him so much?' she thought, biting the inside of her cheek.
It wasn't logical. She had spent most of her life learning not to trust people. Not fully. Not completely. Even now, there were things she never told the others—things she could barely admit to herself.
