A knock on her window made her flinch. Jade stood there, her expression careful. She made a gesture—Can we talk?
Maddox nodded and unlocked the doors. Jade opened the back door and slid into the seat behind her. The vehicle felt smaller with someone else in it, cozier.
"Hey," Jade said quietly. "You okay?"
Maddox's hands were still locked on the steering wheel. "Yeah, fine."
"Maddox."
Something in Jade's voice made her throat tighten further, but she didn't turn around. She couldn’t.
"It’s just a standard debrief," Jade continued, her voice gentler now. "You went into a potentially volatile situation. I need to check in and make sure you're good to continue your shift."
"I'm good," Maddox said. Her voice sounded distant to her own ears.
"Can you look at me?"
Maddox's fingers flexed on the wheel. She made herself turn slightly, meeting Jade's eyes in the rearview mirror.
Jade's expression shifted. There wasn’t pity, just understanding. "Talk to me," Jade said. "What's going on?"
"Nothing’s going on. Connor's safe. That's what matters."
"Connor's safe because you were good at your job." Jade paused. "But that doesn't mean it didn't impact you."
The pressure in Maddox's chest expanded, threatening to crack her open. She looked away, staring through the windshield at nothing.
"He said—" Her voice caught. She swallowed hard. "He said things I've thought before, things I?—"
She swallowed the rest of the words, unable to vocalize them. Jade was quiet for a moment, then she opened her door and got out, circling to the passenger side. She opened that door and slid into the front seat beside Maddox.
"Come here," Jade said softly.
Maddox shook her head. "I'm fine."
"Maddox, come here."
And suddenly she couldn't hold it anymore. The professional mask cracked. Her hands came off the wheel, and she turned toward Jade. Jade's arms came around her immediately, pulling her close despite the console between them.
Maddox pressed her face against Jade's shoulder and just breathed. The tightness in her chest didn't ease, but Jade's hand moved through her hair, steady and grounding.
"I've got you," Jade murmured. "You're okay. You did good."
Maddox's breath shuddered out. She wasn't crying—she couldn't afford that here—but something in her was unraveling. Jade just held her. She didn't ask for more words or need explanations.
Time passed. Maddox didn't track it. Eventually, the vise around her chest loosened enough that she could breathe again. She pulled back slowly, wiping her face even though no tears had fallen.
"Sorry," she said roughly.
"Don't." Jade's hand moved to her cheek, thumb brushing her jaw. "You don't apologize for this."
Maddox met her eyes. Jade wasn't looking at her with pity or concern, just seeing her, all of her. The broken parts and the ones still fighting.
"I needed—" Maddox started, then stopped and tried again. "I needed you."
The words felt too big and vulnerable.
Jade's expression softened. "I'm here. Whenever you need me."
