A sob breaks free from my throat.
“My love for you is real,” he says, brushing another tear away. “So real. And there is nothing—nothing—you could tell me, or that the world could dig up, that would make me stop loving you.”
My lips tremble when he adds, voice rough with emotion, “If anything… after hearing what you survived, and seeing how strong you are, how much you’ve built from nothing—I love you even more.”
The words hit me like a wave—soft, warm, overwhelming. I cling to him, my heart breaking and healing at the same time.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-EIGHT
MILES
Ilie stretched across the couch, Miranda curled into me, fast asleep on my chest. She knocked out hours ago, finally succumbing to the kind of exhaustion that only comes from crying until your body gives up. The toll of emotional trauma is brutal.
I hold her, one hand stroking her hair, the other wrapped securely around her back, and I just… replay everything. Every word she said. Every detail she finally trusted me with. Every horrifying thing I saw in those videos.
My jaw clenches.
She survived all of that alone.
The thought makes something vicious stir inside me. Rage, protectiveness, grief—it all tangles together into a single, unshakable resolve.
She may not have had anyone to protect her then.
But she has me now.
I shift just enough to pull the blanket higher around her shoulders, careful not to wake her. Her breath feathers softly against my shirt—uneven, tired, but finally peaceful—and it gutsme. All she’s ever done is fight through life on her own. Her entire childhood, her teenage years—she stood alone against things no kid should ever face. At the very least, I’m so glad she had Anna. I’ve always liked Anna, but now, I love her deeply. She, a kid herself, protected Miranda as best she could. What a beautiful human. It just goes to show that anyone can beat anything with at least one person to love them. I hope Anna knows how incredible she is.
I stare at the dark ceiling, heart pounding with the beginnings of a plan. I don’t know exactly how this firestorm is going to play out, but one thing is certain: I’m going to stand in front of it. Between her and anything that tries to hurt her.
If the world wants to drag her name through the mud again, they’ll have to go through me first.
And I swear—I won’t let them.
I lie on the couch all night with Miranda’s exhausted body draped over my chest. I barely move—terrified of waking her, knowing she needs every second of rest she can get. Sometime in the early morning, her breathing changes. She stirs, blinking up at me through tired, swollen eyes, still puffy from yesterday’s tears.
“Oh my gosh.” She pushes up off me, sitting upright. “I’ve been lying on you all night?”
“Yeah,” I say softly, rising beside her. “You needed your sleep.”
She groans, pressing a hand to her forehead. “I’m such a burden.”
“Miranda, please stop saying that.” I shake my head. “You’re not.”
She sighs, shoulders curling in tight. It’s as if she wants to speak but can’t force the words past whatever pain is gripping her.
“Listen,” I say gently, shifting toward her, “I have practice, so I need to get ready. But I’m going to take care of everything today.”
Her gaze snaps to mine—skeptical, defeated. I know trusting that anything can be fixed feels impossible to her. But I have a plan. I just need the missing pieces.
“First,” I say, “I need to clarify something. Why do you think it was that Tracey girl who started all this?”
Miranda exhales sharply. “Because some of the pictures included in those videos… they came from her. Her face was blurred out, but they were taken with her phone back in the day. I’m sure she sent the story to those wannabe influencers.” She rubs her forehead. “She was one of my teammates in high school, a vile human being. I always thought she hated me because I played the whole game and she sat on the bench, but honestly, she was just cruel. When everything happened with my coach, she was the ringleader of the bullying. It never stopped with her. So… yeah. I know it was her. Especially after the Oscar party.”
“Okay.” I nod. “Text me her last name and anything you know about where she might be now.”
She nods numbly.
