Ever since Garrett had arrived at the Cullen house as a witness, your relationship had existed in that delicious gray space between joke and confession.

A touch that lingered too long. A smirk that softened when he thought you weren’t looking. A kiss stolen behind the others’ backs, as if the world weren’t already teetering on the brink of ending.

He hid himself well—behind sarcasm, behind theatrics, behind that bold, untouchable swagger he wore like armor. But you saw through it.

You saw the way his eyes searched for you in every room. The way his voice lowered when he spoke to you, as if the rest of the world no longer mattered. Garrett loved loudly in everything except the words.

And today, words might be the only thing left.

The clearing was buried in white, snow stretching endlessly beneath a sky as cold and merciless as the Volturi themselves. The Cullens stood united, silent and braced. The air felt brittle, like glass about to shatter.

You stood with your back pressed against Garrett’s chest, his arm firm around your waist. He wasn’t holding you lightly—he was anchoring you. Or maybe anchoring himself. His body was solid, unyielding, but you could feel the tension coiled beneath his calm exterior.

Across the field, dark shapes began to emerge through the trees.

The Volturi had arrived.

A ripple of dread moved through the clearing, but Garrett didn’t let go. Instead, he leaned down, lowering himself to your height. His breath ghosted over your ear, his face brushing into your hair as if committing the scent of you to memory.

For once, there was no sarcasm in him.

No teasing grin.

Just truth.

“If we make it through this...” He murmured, voice rough and low, meant only for you. “I’ll follow you anywhere, woman. Don’t care if it’s the ends of the earth or someplace even colder than this.”

His hand tightened slightly at your waist, not possessive—protective. Certain.

It wasn’t a grand speech shouted to the sky. It wasn’t theatrics for an audience.

It was a promise.

And in a field filled with ancient power and looming death, that promise felt louder than any battle cry.