Housebound with the Blackridge Heirs novel Chapter 56

**Change Begins With You — Jayden Collins**

**Chapter 56**

**Maya**

I had reached a decision, one that felt both terrifying and exhilarating.

I was finally going to have a conversation with Caden.

No more dodging the issue, no more spiraling into overanalysis with every fleeting glance or bittersweet memory that lingered in my mind. I loved him—this truth was as clear as day. It didn’t matter how chaotic life had become or the strange, magnetic tension that seemed to weave through my interactions with others; it was Caden who held my heart. He was my rock, my partner in this unpredictable storm of existence, my unwavering presence when everything else felt like it was spiraling into chaos.

Yet, as I opened the door to our room, I was met with an unsettling stillness.

And there, on the bed, lay a neatly folded letter.

I halted mid-step, my heart sinking as I made my way across the room. The note was penned in his sharp, familiar script, each letter a reminder of his presence.

*Maya,*

*I got called away on duty for my father. I’ll tell you everything when I’m back. Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.*

*- C.*

I sank slowly onto the edge of the bed, the mattress yielding beneath me as I read his words over and over again. *Don’t worry.*

The irony was not lost on me; worrying was exactly what I couldn’t help but do.

The last time he had been called away, he had come perilously close to losing his life. The last time he was summoned, I had been taken against my will.

My throat constricted painfully at the memories.

I could still feel the faint warmth of his mark beneath my skin, a lingering reminder of his touch, like a heartbeat that wasn’t my own. I instinctively raised my hand to touch it, half-hoping to sense his presence, but all I felt was the hollow silence that accompanied his prolonged absence.

The bond we shared had grown… fuzzy. Not severed, but distant, like trying to hear someone’s voice through a thick wall of water.

I despised this feeling.

Suddenly, the room felt cavernous and oppressive, the silence too heavy to bear. I forced myself to act, shoving the note into a drawer and making my way downstairs.

In the living room, Leo was comfortably seated on the couch, his legs crossed, a book in one hand and a steaming mug of tea in the other. The moment I entered, he looked up, his calm hazel eyes searching my face for any sign of distress.

“Hey,” he greeted softly. “You okay?”

I attempted a smile, but it came out more like a grimace. “Caden’s gone.”

He nodded slowly, as if he had anticipated this news. “Yeah. Tylon mentioned the summons before Caden left.”

I perched on the edge of the armchair facing him, my palms rubbing anxiously against my knees. “He didn’t even mention it to me. I just found a note.”

“Knowing Alpha Phillip, he probably called him in a hurry. And maybe Caden didn’t want to add to your worries,” Leo suggested, his tone gentle.

“Well, too late for that,” I muttered under my breath, frustration bubbling up.

Leo regarded me with a steady gaze, his eyes filled with understanding that made me feel seen without needing to articulate my feelings.

“What’s wrong?” he inquired, his voice low and inviting.

“I can barely feel him,” I confessed, pressing a hand over my heart. “It’s faint, like it’s slipping away.”

“It’s not fading,” he reassured me softly. “It’s just the distance. The bond isn’t fully formed yet, so it weakens when one of you is far away. It’s a normal phenomenon.”

“Normal,” I echoed, attempting a laugh that felt hollow. “There’s nothing normal about any of this.”

He offered a faint smile. “Fair point.”

A heavy silence settled between us, stretching on until Leo set his mug aside and stood up. “Come on.”

“Where are we going?” I asked, curiosity piqued.

“For a run. You’re too tense, and sitting here isn’t going to help,” he replied, his tone resolute.

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