Chapter 142

• MALIA’S POV
• I hesitated, my heart skipping a beat at the question. Did I feel at home? It was a complicated question. In so many ways, this place has become my sanctuary, a safe space for me and Ella. But there was always that undercurrent of uncertainty, of fear that everything could come crashing down if the truth ever came out.
• “I do,” I said finally, my voice quiet but honest. “I feel safe here, with you. And I think Ella does too.”