"Esme… if you knew… if you only knew how much you mean to us," he said, his voice breaking. "We don't want to lose you. I just…" He trailed off, unable to find the words, as he closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against hers.
And in that moment, Esme's fear began to ease. She had come home, and the warmth of Ray's touch, the urgency in his eyes—it was enough to remind her that, no matter her doubts, her place was here. And these brothers, even in their anger and hurt, were hers.
Esme looked up at Ray with wide, innocent eyes, her lips twitching in amusement, barely able to hold back a smile. Finally, her resolve broke, and a playful grin spread across her face as she teased, "Yes, Ray, it hurts so much," she whined, feigning a pout and lowering her head dramatically. "Look, look at this wound. You've hurt me so terribly." She sniffed, glancing up at him with an exaggerated look of betrayal.
