I turned my head to look at him and smiled lazily.
"Alright," I said softly. "I'm ready to learn. Carl… please teach me."
The moment the name left my lips, something in Lewis changed.
His gaze locked onto mine. Not sharp. Not cold. Bright. Almost startled. Like I had unlocked something he'd kept sealed away for years.
"What did you just call me?" he asked quietly.
"Carl," I repeated, confused.
For a second, he didn't move. Then his arms came around me, firm and warm, pulling me against him. His breath hitched, low and controlled, but I felt the tremor underneath it.
That name meant something to him.
To me, it was only a forgotten sound.
But as his hold tightened, memories stirred.
Back then, I had been small and fearless.
Camilla and I had slipped away from the guards on a crowded afternoon. Everything was loud. Too loud. When she fell into the water, I didn't think. I just ran and grabbed her hand.
The current was strong. Stronger than us.
Her fingers slid from mine.
