Page 178 of Scarlet Wars
I swallowed, heart pounding. “You feel like home.”
His mouth parted, like he was about to speak, like words were right there on the edge of something important.
I leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his lips, then rested my hand against his chest, the wild rhythm of his heartbeat grounding us both.
“Before we do this…” I murmured, “I need to talk to James.”
His brow furrowed. “Now?”
I smiled, his impatience oddly sweet. “Yeah. Not that this is really any of his business anymore, but… I feel like he has a right to know, and I’d rather be done with it before...” the words trailed off.
He held my gaze for a long moment, then nodded once, the understanding there without either of us needing to say more.
I cleared my throat. “I also need to talk to Sean. He was incredible out there today. I… I owe it to both to clear the air as soon as possible.”
Caden studied me for a moment, then nodded again, his expression softening. He leaned in and kissed me like a promise.
“We have all the time in the world,” he murmured. “Go handle it. Then come find me.”
“I will,” I promised.
I slid off the bed, my fingers brushing his, then reached for the Nexus.
FORTY-ONE
EMMA
Looking back now, it was all so painfully clear. How much I wanted Caden, how deeply I needed him. Even before I’d left Crown for Cyclos, he’d already wormed his way into my heart.
Not only for comfort or connection, but in that irreversible, soul-anchoring way that made it impossible to pretend otherwise.
And with that clarity came weight. Responsibility. A truth I couldn’t keep quiet anymore.
So I nexed James.
I asked him to meet me somewhere quiet, and to my mild surprise, he agreed without hesitation.
The training room wasn’t empty when I arrived. Late afternoon light stretched across the worn mats, dust drifting through the beams. The air smelled faintly of sweat and iron. For once, the room felt still, like even this place knew we weren’t here to fight.
James leaned against the far wall, arms crossed in a way that might’ve looked casual to someone else, but I knew better. He was braced—ready, wary—but not aggressive.
I stood a few feet away, arms crossed too, but tighter, like I was holding myself together more than pushing anyone out.
At first, neither of us spoke, as if we were both trying to remember how to talk without turning it into a war.
I drew in a breath, before I ripped the bandage off, and blurted, “There’s something going on between me and Caden.”
James didn’t react. Not even a flicker. No flinch, no breath caught. Just stillness.
“And I wanted you to hear it from me,” I added, softer now.
He nodded once. A gesture that somehow said everything and nothing at all.
Then he said, “So…you two are together now.”
His tone was tight. Controlled. Like every word had to fight its way past something bitter before it could land.
“I don’t know,” I admitted, uncrossing my arms. “But…it might be where this is headed, yeah.”
