Chapter 456

A smile, soft as blooming flowers. The warmth of her lips faded slowly, and Kieran thought—this time, Lila had slipped away too fast. Next time, he'd hold her tight and kiss her deep. Until her eyes turned misty, until she saw no one but him. … When Lila finally arrived in Mapleford, it was well past lunchtime. Louise and Ash were happy to see her and even cooked a meal just for her. Right on cue, Kieran sent a message. "Did you get there safely?" "Make sure you eat well." Lila lowered her gaze, a soft smile tugging at her lips, and instantly replied with a "Got it" sticker. She was halfway through her meal when Matthew arrived. For some reason, he looked a little worn out. Was he just tired? He sat across from her without saying a word. Even quieter than Jamie usually was. Lila set down her spoon. "Something wrong?" A flicker of something unreadable crossed Matthew's eyes before vanishing. "No, I just came to check on you. Jamie mentioned you've had a rough time with ev