"You didn't hurt me," I whisper.
"I can't," he says back. "Not with you."
We just stand there for a minute, breathing. The Ether settles around our feet, quiet now.
I touch his cheek one more time. Then I reach for the door handle.
"Good morning, Wes."
He doesn't try to follow. Just watches as I slip inside and close the door.
I lean against it, heart still racing, fingers pressed to my mouth.
I can still taste him.
And for the first time since this whole thing started, I think I might know what I want.
Chapter 39
Bree
I'm sitting on my bed, fingers still pressed to my lips when the knock comes. I can still taste him. Still feel the press of his mouth against mine, the way his hands threaded through my hair. My whole body is buzzing, lit up from the inside.
I've kissed others. I’ve been kissed with tenderness, with care, even with longing. And every one of those moments mattered. They made me feel safe. Chosen.Seen.
But this was different.
This time, it wasn’t just about being wanted.
It was aboutwanting back.
And for the first time in my life, I didn't feel the need to shrink from that. I didn't feel ashamed of it. I just...felt. All of it. And I still do.
My lips still tingle. My heart hasn’t stopped pounding. But what scares me most isn’t what just happened.
It’s how much I didn’t want to run from it.
The knock comes again, soft and hesitant.
"Come in," I call, expecting maybe Theo or Rhett checking on me.
Instead, it's Mairen. The woman cooking not just for us, but the entire crowd of people who have come be. She's holding a small lantern, and her expression is somewhere between sheepish and hopeful.
"I'm sorry to bother you," she says, voice trembling slightly. "But I thought... well, I set something up. For dinner. And I was hoping you might join us."
I blink, confused. "Us?"
"All of you," she clarifies, then looks down at her hands. "I know this morning was... a lot. And I thought maybe you'd all like somewhere quiet to just... breathe for a while"
There's something in her voice that makes my chest tight. Like this matters to her. Like she's offering something precious.
"What did you set up?" I ask.
Her face brightens. "Come see?"
She holds out her hand, and after a moment's hesitation, I take it.
***
