“Because it was you,” he says.
Not complicated.
Not overexplained.
Just truth.
Something in my chest shifts.
Warms.
“You didn’t even know me,” I whisper.
“I do now.”
That shouldn’t matter as much as it does.
But it does.
A lot.
I swing my legs fully onto the bed, leaning back slightly against the wall, the movement slower this time—not because I’m weak.
Because I don’t have to rush.
“Stay,” I say again, quieter.
Not a test.
Not uncertainty.
Just… wanting.
Logan leans back in the chair slightly, settling in like he’s exactly where he intends to be.
“I’m not going anywhere, Scout.”
I believe him.
That’s the difference.
And as the silence settles around us again—soft, steady, no longer something to fight—
I realize something I didn’t expect.
I’m not just recovering.
I’m choosing.
And right now—
I’m choosing him.
22
Sentinel
They think it’s over.
