I shake my head. “The police just… freak me out.”
Boone watches me carefully. “Because of him?”
“Because of everything,” I admit. “Fluorescent lights. Clipboards. People who don’t know the context. Who don’t understand how power works when someone’s good at spinning a story.”
Caleb nods slowly. “That’s true.”
Silas crosses his arms, expression softening. “But going in with support changes that.”
“I don’t want him to win by dragging me back into it,” I say quietly.
Boone doesn’t waver. “He doesn’t win because you protect yourself.”
I stare at the floor.
I think about running. About changing my number. My name. My life. Again.
I’m tired of that.
“Okay,” I whisper.
Silas nods like I made a strong decision, and he expected nothing less.
“So,” he says after a beat, lighter but careful, “what happens next?”
I shrug. “I’ll do it tomorrow, I guess.”
Boone nods. “If you want.”
That small addition matters more than he probably realizes.
Caleb asks, “Do you want to go alone, or…?”
“I don’t know yet,” I admit. “I just know I don’t want to rush it.”
“Then don’t,” Boone says immediately. “There’s no deadline on doing this right.”
Silas tilts his head. “But if you decide you want backup. Moral, emotional, intimidating?—”
Despite everything, a weak smile pulls at my mouth.
Caleb continues, practical as ever. “If you want someone there but not in the room, that’s an option too.”
I look between them. “You’ve all thought about this.”
Boone exhales through his nose. “I’ve had reason to.”
That tells me plenty.
“There’s a deputy in town who handles these kinds of reports properly,” he adds. “By the book. No minimizing. No nonsense.”
I nod slowly. “Okay. Tomorrow,” I say. “I’ll try tomorrow.”
Boone’s head dips once. “I’ll be ready.”
When I stand, exhaustion hits me all at once.
“I’m going to try to sleep,” I say.
