“What time is it?” I whisper.
“Four-thirty.”
It’s dark outside. The world hasn’t woken up yet.
Jax sits up and runs a hand through his hair. “I need to shower and get ready. Are you good?”
I nod again.
He stands and glances back at me before disappearing into the hallway.
The bathroom door closes.
I lie staring at the ceiling, trying to calm my racing heart.
A soft knock at the door makes me sit up.
“Tiger?” Zephyr’s voice. He opens the door just enough to lean in. “You awake?”
“Yeah.”
“Can I come in?”
I pull the blanket up to my chest. “Yeah.”
He steps inside, leaving the door cracked. He sits on the edge of the bed, giving me space.
“Are you okay?”
I nod.
“What happened last night?” he asks quietly.
I don’t answer right away. Just look at him—dark eyebrows drawn together in concern, brown eyes soft in the dim light from the kitchen down the hall.
The way he watches me makes my stomach flip.
“My dad knows that you guys have been watching the house,” I admit.
“Did he hurt you?” he asks again like he didn’t believe last night’s answer.
“No.”
Zephyr’s jaw tightens.
I look down at my hands. “He threw a cup. It shattered against the wall.”
Zephyr’s quiet for a moment. Then he says, “I’m happy you’re here. It’s been eating at me.”
I’m not sure what to say to that, but it makes the butterflies in my stomach come alive again.
Movement in the hallway catches my eye. Jax is standing at the door, fresh from the shower, hair still damp and watching us.
I inhale sharply at the sight of him.
I don’t understand what’s happening to me. I don’t understand why all three of them make me feel like this—safe and terrified and wanted all at once.
Zephyr stands. “We need to head out soon. Are you staying until we get back?”
