“Who was that?” Noah asks. “Do we need another notebook?”
“We’ll need a wing,” Elliot says.
“Madness? Really?” Callum leans in. “That man gives off real ‘comes too early and apologizes by ghosting’ energy.”
“No shit. I’m not gonna deny you a whim, babe,” Orion adds, teeth brushing my ear. “But… ew.”
“I second that,” Vitaly says. “Gadkiy.”
Then Reid’s voice cuts through, quieter. Sharper. “He hurt you.”
The others freeze.
Callum’s already moving toward the door.
“Stop.” My voice cracks the air.
Callum halts. “The motherfucker hurt you?”
“No,” I say. “Not today.”
Orion’s by the door now. “The fuck does that mean?”
“Easy, boys,” Elliot says, but there’s tension in his jaw. “Baby doll?”
Noah’s arms are already around me.
Reid doesn’t move. Just watches.
Sharp cop eyes. Heart breaking behind them.
“What did he do?”
“Nothing,” I say. “He’s never seen me. That’s the worst of it. He never saw me. And a long, long time ago… that was enough to destroy me.”
They’re silent. Listening.
“I gave him the power to make me smaller,” I whisper. “I let him shrink me. Let the idea of him write over me. And it hurt.”
Reid steps in close. Cups my chin. Makes sure I’m looking at him when I say it. “And now?”
“No one has that power now,” I breathe.
He nods once. “Damn right.”
Then he kisses me.
And the others follow.
Lips on cheeks.
Mouths on skin.
Arms wrapping around me.
They don’t try to fix me.
They don’t ask me to be sweet.
