86. Heat Within

|| Lilac's POV || Ezra was lounging on the couch with his usual denomenur, flipping through channels on the TV. “Look, that bastard is steaming again… this time his pants are even gone,” he said, grinning as Kael’s face appeared on every news channel. “Stop it, Ezra,” Mom scolded him, though her attention quickly turned back to me. “Sweetpea, did Kael do anything to you? A photo of you with Kael on his knees has gone viral.” I blinked, trying to focus on her words. My head was pounding, and the heat in my body was becoming overwhelming. “All good, Mom,” I said, my voice strained. “I’m really exhausted. Can we please talk tomorrow?” “But— ” Mom started, her concern evident. “Let her be, honey,” Dad interrupted, his voice firm but gentle. “She had a long evening.” I nodded gratefully, though my legs felt like they were made of lead as I slowly made my way toward the stairs. Just as I reached the first step, Dad called out to me. “Sweetpea,” he said, his voice soft but filled with pride.