“I’m proud of you,” he murmured.
“I’m terrified,” she admitted.
“That just means that you did the right thing. You stood up for yourself, Aliza, and that’s huge. If you weren’t terrified, I’d be worried. But I’m right here, and I don’t plan on going anywhere.” Elias was right. She had stood up for what she wanted. For the first time in her life, Aliza felt like she’d chosen herself—and that made all the difference.
“I need some air,” she whispered. They had been sitting on her sofa, her wrapped in his arms, for what felt like an eternity. She knew that she needed to clear her head in case her father called back, or worse, showed up at her apartment. He had a key, and the idea of him storming into her place terrified her. She wouldn’t put it past him either. Hell, he’d probably take her back to her childhood home and lock her away in her room until shecould behave herself and follow his rules—just like he used to do when she was a kid.
After her mother passed away, when she was just four years old, it was her and her father. He never really figured out how to be a single parent to her. He threw himself into his work and left her with babysitters who ignored her most of the time. He parented her using control and dominance most of her life, and telling him that she wasn’t going to allow that anymore was a huge step for her.
“Do you mind if I tag along?” Elias asked. “I could use some air, too.” She was sure that he was just wanting to make sure that she was okay, but the idea of being without him felt wrong to her.
“I’d like that,” she admitted.
Aliza grabbed her jacket and tugged on her shoes as Elias waited for her. The cool night air hit her face, and she took a deep breath in, as though letting her father’s poisonous words wash through her lungs and back out of her body as she exhaled.
She stood on the sidewalk outside her apartment, staring at nothing. Her father’s words still rang in her ears, sharp and unforgiving, and now that the adrenaline had drained out of her body, all that was left was exhaustion and a hollow ache behind her ribs. She felt like she’d just run a marathon with no finish line.
Elias watched her quietly for a moment before speaking. “Hey,” he said gently. “You don’t have to go back in there tonight.”
She blinked up at him, confused. “What?”
“Your place,” he clarified. “It’s full of everything he just dumped on you. I don’t think that’s where you need to be right now.” He was right—her apartment was the last place that she wanted to be right now.
She hugged her arms around herself, suddenly cold despite the warm jacket that she had pulled on. “I don’t really haveanywhere else to go,” she admitted. “Dani already has two roommates, and she’s really the only close friend that I have.”
“You do have somewhere that you can go,” he said softly. “Come back to my place with me.”
Her heart stuttered at his offer. “Elias?—”
“Not like that,” he said quickly, not wanting to scare her. “I just don’t want to leave you here all alone when you’re this upset. You can crash in my spare bedroom, if you want. Or, if you don’t feel like sleeping, you can steal Cat’s favorite chair. I don’t care. I just—I want you somewhere safe. I want you with me, Aliza.”
Safe—the word wrapped around her like something solid. “I don’t want to impose,” she whispered.
“You’re not imposing. I offered,” he said, meeting her eyes. “You’re someone I care about. Let me take care of you tonight.”
The offer made her chest ache. She nodded slowly before she could even think through his offer. “Okay,” she said, “thank you.”
“How about we go back into your apartment and pack an overnight bag for you?” he asked. Then, we can grab some dinner and take it back to my place.” Her stomach growled as if on cue, and he chuckled. “I take that as a yes,” he teased.
She smiled up at him, “Yes,” she agreed. She had a bag packed in just minutes, eager to get out of her apartment before her father decided to show up there. She couldn’t take another run-in with him—not tonight. No, tonight, she was going to do just what Elias had asked of her and let him take care of her.
Elias opened the car door for her, as relief softened his features. He seemed to be on guard the entire time she was packing her things, but now, he seemed to relax a bit. As she slid inside the passenger seat, she realized how badly she needed this. She needed to be somewhere quiet, with someone kind, and somewhere her father couldn’t reach her. And somehow, withElias beside her, she knew that she had found that person and place of safety.
His place was nothing like she’d imagined it would be. There were no sterile bachelor vibes and no sleek modern lines. It was warm, even lived-in. Bookshelves lined one wall, a half-finished puzzle sat on the coffee table, and soft lamplight filled the space like a quiet invitation to just breathe and relax.
Before she could even take it all in, a gray-and-white cat padded into the room, tail high and eyes curious. “Oh,” she breathed. “Hi.”
“That’s Cat,” Elias said, a hint of amusement in his voice. “Short for Cat. He’s a boy. Long story.” Cat blinked at her, then walked straight up and head-butted her leg as though he’d already decided she belonged there.
She laughed, a soft sound that surprised her. “I think he likes me.”
“He has good instincts,” Elias said.
He made them tea, and they sat on the couch, Cat wedged between them like a furry mediator. The silence wasn’t awkward, and it gave her time to think and regroup. Aliza curled into herself, exhaustion finally seeping in now that she wasn’t running on adrenaline anymore.
“You don’t have to be strong all the time,” Elias said quietly, as though reading her mind.
“I don’t know how not to be,” she admitted. “It was ingrained in me at such a young age. My mom died when I was four, and my father worked a lot. I was taught to be strong. It was how I survived.” He shifted closer, draping an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him without thinking, her headresting against his chest. It felt safe there in a way that made her want to cry all over again.
