Chapter 4 Elysia couldn't sleep

Elysia couldn't sleep.

The baby had long since drifted off in her arms, his tiny body curled against her warmth. His breaths were steady, his little hands clenched into fists as he nestled into her. She should have put him down in the crib Cassian had hurriedly ordered and had delivered just an hour ago. But she couldn't bring herself to let go.

Her arms ached, but the weight of him was a comfort she didn't know she needed.

Across the room, Cassian sat in the armchair, his sharp eyes never leaving her. He had been watching her all night, silent and unreadable, as if waiting for her to break.

She wouldn't.

Instead, she whispered, "What's his name?"

Cassian's brows furrowed slightly, like he hadn't expected the question. "Leon."

Leon.

The name settled in her mind, unfamiliar yet strangely fitting. She glanced down at the baby-Leon. He didn't stir, only sighed softly in his sleep.

"You're not his father, are you?" she asked quietly.

Cassian tensed, but his answer came without hesitation. "No."

Elysia exhaled, her fingers brushing over the soft curve of Leon's cheek. She already knew the answer, but hearing it out loud brought a flicker of something she couldn't place.

"Who is his mother?"

A beat of silence. Then, "It doesn't matter."

She looked up sharply. "It does if she comes back."

Cassian's jaw tightened, and for the first time, she saw something crack beneath his cold exterior. Guilt.

"She won't," he said flatly.

Elysia studied him, searching for a lie, but found none. And yet, something about his voice unsettled her. There was more to the story, but he wasn't going to tell her. Not yet.

She could have pressed further, but exhaustion weighed heavily on her. Instead, she looked back at Leon, his tiny fingers twitching in sleep.

"He's perfect," she murmured, mostly to herself.

Cassian didn't respond.

Minutes passed in heavy silence. The tension between them was thick, suffocating, but neither of them broke it.

Elysia hated this. Hated that he was here. Hated that despite everything, she was once again trapped in his orbit.

"I'll stay for a few weeks," she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. "Until you figure out another solution."

Cassian's eyes darkened. "That's not enough time."

"It's all I'm giving you."

His lips pressed into a thin line, but he didn't argue. He knew better than to push her.

"Fine."

Elysia exhaled slowly, relief and dread mingling in her chest. She had bought herself time-time to prepare for the moment she would walk away.

Because she would walk away.

She had to.

She just hadn't realized that the hardest part wouldn't be leaving Cassian.

It would be leaving Leon.