For the next few days, I kept crashing in Yuna’s room.


    Hayden, the guy who could hold me all night and still stay cool, was handling it just fine. But I


    couldn’t wait to see how he’d manage once we were back in Emberholm, where Yuna would be


    living with us.


    We ended up staying at Pencetown for four days, which totally caught me off guard. I figured


    Hayden would rush to get her surgery scheduled ASAP so she could start recovering. But nope, he


    took his time. We spent the days fishing, and every evening, he’d cook us these insanely good


    meals.


    Yuna and I were living like total princesses, soaking in every minute like we’d stepped into some


    magical escape, miles away from real life. If we stayed any longer, I wasn’t sure I’d ever want to


    leave.


    “Hayden, when we’re old, we should retire here,” I said, “I swear, I could live to be 150 in a ce


    like this.” Haydenughed. “Alright.”


    “And me! I want to live to 150 too!” Yuna added, grinning with this bright, newfound excitement for


    her future.


    Lena had already sorted out everything for Yuna’s hospital stay, so we could head there whenever.


    But she insisted on seeing our apartment first.


    Hayden was about to mention that he’d rented an apartment across from mine–one he’d barely


    used since he’d basically been living with me. But before he could say anything. I stopped him. I


    didn’t want Yuna feeling guilty, thinking she was somehow a burden because her brother hadn’t


    settled into a permanent ce yet.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    “This apartment was passed down from my parents. It’s old, yeah, but it’s cozy and perfect for us,” I


    said, trying to make it sound a little better than the reality.


    Yuna turned to Hayden with a sly grin. “So, you’ve been living at Keira’s this whole time? Does that


    mean you two have been secretly shacking up?”


    This girl didn’t waste any time teasing him.


    I caught Hayden’s silent plea for help and had to bite back augh.


    “Keira, I really like your apartment, Yuna said,pletely sincere, like I was already part of their


    family.” Once I’m out of the hospital, can I stay there for a bit? Is that okay?”


    “Of course! You can stay as long as you want,” I replied automatically, then remembered–the


    building. was getting demolished soon. Awkward.


    “But I’m not staying tonight,” Yuna added, catching both Hayden and me off guard.


    “Where do you want to go?” Hayden asked.


    A faint blush spread across Yuna’s cheeks. “I’ve never been to a big city before.” She was talking


    about Seavora.


    Her meaning was clear, and Hayden and I exchanged a look. Yuna linked her arm through mine.


    “Keira, it’s not that I don’t like your ce. I just really want to see the big city, you know? The kind


    I’ve only ever seen


    on TV.”


    It hit me then–the peaceful, idyllic life I’d always envied in Yuna was actually her prison. Hayden, in


    trying to protect her, had unintentionally locked her away from the world.


    Her excitement about the city made me think of that famous line: The grass is always greener on


    the other side.


    Hayden and I exchanged a quick look before he tapped her lightly on the head. “Why didn’t you say


    something sooner? You should’ve told me you wanted to visit the city.”


    “I did, but every time I asked, you’d shut me down,” Yuna grumbled,


    Iughed. “That’s because he didn’t meet me soon enough. If he had, you’d have been here ages


    ago.”


    “Exactly! So, you’re my lucky charm,” Yu id, resting her head on my shoulder. She threw Hayden a


    yful look. “You better treat Keira like gold, Hayden. Seriously. If you don’t, I won’t forgive you.”


    Most girls would probably be wary of marrying a guy with a clingy little sister, but not me. I had the


    rare privilege of being adored by my future sister–inw, and honestly, I loved it.


    We


    That evening, Hayden and I took Yuna into the city. We wandered around, showing her


    everythinnergy


    were a bit worried about her pushing herself too hard, but she was way too caught up in the city’s to


    care about being tired.


    As we strolled through the neon–lit streets, Yuna licked her ice cream cone, her face lit up in this


    way that made me smile, even as tears glistened in her eyes.


    “Keira, I could die happy just having a day like this,” Yuna said softly, her voice thick with emotion.


    Her words hit me hard. It wasn’t the sparkle of the city she craved–it was the feeling of being alive.


    She wasn’t just uncertain about her future; she was terrified of missing out on really living it.