Garrett’s fingers traced slow, lazy circles on my arm, his touch light but grounding. I lay against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, letting it lull me into a sense of peace I only ever felt when I was with him. His warmth wrapped around me like a blanket, shielding me from everything that existed beyond this moment.

The room was dimly lit, the soft glow from the lamp casting shadows along the walls. Outside, the world was moving—cars passing, people laughing, life happening—but in here, in his arms, time stood still.

His voice came quietly, rough with sleep. “You know I’m never gonna get tired of this, right?”

I smiled against the fabric of his t-shirt, my fingers absentmindedly tracing patterns along his side. “Of what?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Having you here like this. Holding you. Falling asleep with you in my arms. Waking up to your hair all messy on my pillow.”

My heart clenched. I tilted my head up to look at him, and the second our eyes met, I was lost. There was something in the way he looked at me—something raw and unguarded, like he was letting me see the deepest parts of him without hesitation.

I didn’t say anything. I didn’t need to.

I just lifted myself slightly, pressing a slow kiss to the underside of his jaw, feeling the way his breath hitched beneath me.

He let out a small chuckle, his fingers sliding up my back, holding me a little tighter. “Guess that means I’ll just have to keep you here forever.”

And when he dipped his head, capturing my lips in a slow, lingering kiss, I knew—I belonged here. I belonged to him.