Skye remained still, breathing shallow.
I placed my hand against her arm. “Let’s go.”
She didn’t argue. She just grabbed her purse and headed for the door.
I followed her out, closing the door behind us.
Her mother’s voice was loud and clear as she went off on Kory for his behavior.
Skye stopped at the bottom of the porch steps. She looked up at me, eyes glassy. “I just want her to believe me.”
“I know.” I stepped closer, cupping her chin gently, forcing her to meet my eyes. “You can’t force people to believe some shit they don’t want to see. All you can do is stand in your truth. You did that tonight.”
Her shoulders dropped. Then she fell against me, her face pressing into my chest, quiet sobs shaking through her. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her like I was anchoring us both.
After a long minute, she whispered, “Thank you…for having my back.”
“Always,” I mumbled. “Ain’t nobody going to play with you while I’m around. Ever.”
She looked up, her expression soft but exhausted, eyes shining with something deep...love, maybe, or relief. “You’re dangerous when you mean that,” she said quietly.
I smirked. “Then I guess you’re safe.”
We stood there for a while, the night swallowing the noise from inside, the weight of everything still hanging between us.
And even though everything had gone left, I knew one thing for sure...she wasn’t standing in that pain alone. Not tonight. Not ever again.
33
OCEAN
The room was quiet, except for the even rhythm of Skye breathing against my chest. I could feel the heat from her body, soft and steady, and yet every fiber of me was wound tight, restless. Tonight should have been simple. Just her and me, just the bed, just the relief of finally being together after the chaos of her sister’s house. But my chest felt heavy, weighed down by the memory of how crazy things had gotten.
I shifted slightly, careful not to disturb her, and let out a low exhale.
She stirred a little, nuzzling closer, but didn’t wake.
Her little sigh against my collarbone made me want to hold her tighter, to shield her from all the bullshit the world kept throwing her way. I ran a hand through her hair, memorizing the feel of it, the warmth, the softness, as if just touching her could fix everything.
Her eyelids fluttered, and I could see the slow blink of sleep catching her. She mumbled something incoherent, still in that fragile place where dreams and reality blurred.
I eased back against the headboard, letting my body cradle hers. Her fingers brushed over my chest lazily, like she was stillhalf in a dream, and it stabbed at me in the best and worst ways. I could feel every scar, every fear she carried, but I also felt the trust she put in me, even when the world tried to push her away from it. I wanted to honor that. I had to.
“Skye,” I whispered, voice catching slightly, “I swear I got you. I’m not going to let anyone, or anything hurt you.”
Her breathing evened out again, deep and soft, and I let my lips trail along the crown of her head. I wanted to keep her here, in this moment, where the world couldn’t touch her. Where I could just be…Ocean, her protector, without all the noise, without all the chaos.
My phone buzzed against the nightstand, breaking the silence. I cursed under my breath, glancing at the screen.
It was Trace.
I almost didn’t want to answer it, didn’t want to leave her side, but my gut told me this was a call I shouldn’t ignore.
Careful not to wake her, I eased out of the bedroom and answered the call.
“Yeah,” I said, my voice low.
“Got something for you,” he said. “About the situation you asked me to check on.”
