Chapter 43

**Paige’s POV ** Callen’s home. He’s right here, looking as if nothing ever happened, but it still doesn’t feel real. He’s sitting beside me on the couch, his thumb tracing lazy circles against the inside of my wrist like he’s been doing it for years. Like he didn’t almost die. Like I haven’t spent every day since replaying the moment I thought I’d lost him for good. I rest my head against his shoulder, listening to the steady rhythm of his breathing. It’s strong. “I missed you,” I whisper. He hums and tilts his head to rest against mine. “Me too.” For a few minutes, neither of us says anything. We just sit there, tangled up in the quiet, in the warmth of something familiar and new all at once. But even in the comfort, the guilt creeps in. Because Callen’s not the only one I missed. I close my eyes and remember the touch of Parker’s kiss on my lips. The way his hands gripped my waist. The heat in his gaze when I told him I wanted him to kiss me, and the way Remy looked at me last night