Because Sentinel thinks proximity is pressure.
Thinks it will create strain.
He’s wrong.
Because this—
This isn’t pressure.
This is where she’s strongest.
And if he wants to test that—
He’s going to have to go through me.
38
Scout
Idon’t fall asleep right away.
That’s the first thing I notice.
Not because I can’t.
Because I don’t want to.
The room is quiet, the kind of quiet that doesn’t press or demand anything from me. The kind I’m still learning how to exist in.
Logan hasn’t moved.
I can feel him there without looking.
Steady.
Grounded.
Present.
Not watching like I’m a problem to solve.
Watching like I matter.
That difference still catches me off guard.
I shift slightly under the blanket, turning just enough so I can see him.
He’s sitting in the chair, arms relaxed, posture easy—but not careless. Like he could be on his feet in a second if he needed to.
“You’re not going to sleep, are you?” I ask softly.
His eyes lift to mine.
“Not yet.”
“Because of me?”
“Yes.”
