I nod. “Yeah.”
Tex takes my hand and starts walking steadily, knowing I’ll follow because I want to.
As we cross the snow, my pulse rises again. Not fear, but anticipation, because I know what’s waiting at the cabin. The confrontation. The air thick with things said that can’t be unsaid.
Caleb steps forward first when we reach the porch.
I stop, still holding Tex’s hand.
Weston’s eyes scan my face like he’s checking for injuries he can fix.
Boone’s gaze goes straight to Tex.
My stomach knots. I open my mouth, ready to apologize, ready to shrink myself into something easier, ready to soften the impact?—
And Tex speaks first. “Jane is staying.”
His words aren’t loud. They’re not a threat. They’re facts.
Boone’s eyes flare. “Like hell she is.”
Tex doesn’t move. He doesn’t raise his voice. He just looks at Boone, standing firm. “She’s staying because she wants to, and because I’m not lettin’ you bulldoze her into silence.”
Weston’s brows knit. “We’re not trying to bulldoze her. We’re trying to protect her.”
Tex’s gaze flicks to Weston, then Caleb, then Boone. “I know, but your protection is suffocating her.”
Caleb flinches.
I stand there with a tight throat and burning eyes because I’ve said it a thousand times in my head but never out loud.
“And what is this?” Boone snaps, waving a hand between us like we’re a problem he wants to solve with anger.
I meet Boone’s eyes. “This is my choice.”
His expression shifts as his anger flickers into hurt.
Caleb steps forward, looking at me as if he’s trying to see past the noise to find his little sister. “Why didn't you tell us?”
My throat tightens. “Because you would’ve tried to stop me.”
Caleb’s jaw tightens. “Because we worry.”
“I know. And I love you, but I need you to stop loving me like I’m fragile.”
Caleb’s eyes shine, and he looks away quickly.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper instinctively.
Tex’s hand tightens. He leans slightly toward me, his voice low enough for only me to hear. “No.”
My mouth closes. My chest aches.
Caleb turns back, his expression carved tight. “We thought you were in trouble.”
“I was,” I admit softly. “Just not the way you thought.”
Weston’s gaze flicks to Tex. “And you... You’re what? Her savior?”
