Jerrick's face darkened the shadows in his expression deepening as her question hung in the air between them. He studied her, waiting, almost hoping she would retract the words, but she only gazed back at him with those wide, unwavering blue eyes that held an unsettling calm.
The tension thickened, wrapping around them like a cloak, until he finally spoke, his voice low and firm.
"Beside my coffin," he answered, his jaw clenched tightly, his eyes hard as if he was issuing a warning—a final one.
It was as though he was daring her to push him further, daring her to cross that invisible line, but Jessamyn only leaned into him, resting her head on his chest. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to be enveloped by the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. It was a sound she had learned to find comfort in, a sound that had often soothed her troubled heart.
"Why do you love me?" she asked softly, her voice barely more than a whisper.
