Page 122 of Grim

A little.

Her brothers softened when they saw the way he looked at Sophia, like she was the only light in the room. Her mother softened when he insisted on helping clean up, even though Abuela smacked his hand with a towel and told him to sit. Her father softened when Grim thanked him, quietly and sincerely, for raising a daughter strong enough to survive what she’d been through.

By dessert, the tension had melted into something warm.

Something like acceptance.

Something like belonging.

Something he hadn’t felt in decades.

Sophia walked him outside, the porch light casting a soft glow over them. Crickets chirped. The air smelled like jasmine and warm tortillas. The night felt soft in a way Grim didn’t trust.

He leaned against the railing, exhaling slowly. “I don’t think I’ve ever been that scared in my life.”

Sophia laughed softly. “My family can be intense.”

He shook his head. “Not them. You.”

She blinked. “Me?”

He nodded, eyes dark and vulnerable. “I kept waiting for you to realize you deserve better. Someone cleaner. Softer. Someone your family wouldn’t look at like a threat.”

Sophia stepped between his legs, cupping his face. “Maddox. Look at me.”

He did.

And she saw everything: fear, hope, love, disbelief.

“I choose you,” she whispered. “Fully. Fiercely. Without hesitation.”

His control slipped.

“I choose you when it’s easy. I choose you when it’s hard. I choose you when the world is burning. I choose you when it’s quiet. I choose you every time.”

Grim’s eyes burned in the porch light.

He swallowed hard. “Sophia… I love you.”

Her heart soared across her face.

She kissed him, slow, deep, and certain, her hands sliding into his hair, his arms wrapping around her waist like he was afraid she’d disappear.

When they finally pulled apart, Grim rested his forehead against hers, voice breaking. “No one’s ever chosen me.”

Sophia brushed her thumb over his cheek. “I choose you every time. I love you, Maddox.”

And in that moment, under the porch light, surrounded by the echoes of family and food and laughter, Grim finally believed her.

Chapter 40

Grim

Sophia’s second night back at the ICU had been on his mind since she walked out the door, hair pulled back, scrubs crisp, eyes steady but still carrying shadows she tried to hide. She’d kissed his cheek, told him she needed to drive herself, and asked for space.

He’d nodded. He’d let her go. And then he’d spent the entire night thinking about her anyway.

But tonight… he hadn’t checked the windows every ten minutes. He hadn’t scanned every corner of the room. He hadn’t jolted at every sound.