The honesty in it undid her.
Emotion hit so fast it stole the air from her lungs. Not control. Not an obligation. Not some overprotective impulse.
Fear.
His.
“Brian—”
He didn’t let her finish. He brushed a kiss across her forehead, then pulled her into a firm,warm embrace. One hand cradled the back of her head, the other settled protectively at her waist, careful of her ribs.
She let herself sink into him.
For the first time since the warehouse, since the blast, since the single gunshot that still echoed in her head, her body stopped bracing for impact.
His heart pounded hard and steady beneath her ear.
Footsteps sounded in the hallway, and they both shifted automatically.
Jinx trotted into the living room first, nails clicking lightly on the floor. Andy followed a step behind and stopped short when he saw them standing close.
Brian’s hand dropped from her waist, and Tess stepped back, the movement instinctive. Her brother had never seen her being even slightly intimate with a man.
“It’s all good.” Andy lifted one hand slightly, like he was waving off a gnat. His eyes were still rimmed red, but there was a small, awkward determination there now. “You don’t have to do that.”
Tess blinked. “Do what?”
“Pretend you’re not—um—not together.” He rubbed the back of his neck as his cheeks pinkened. He might say he wasn’t embarrassed, but clearly he was—at least a little. “I’m not five.”
The corners of her mouth twitched in amusement. Brian’s expression softened, but he stayed quiet.
Andy swallowed. “I’m not... weird about it. Okay? After everything...” His gaze flicked to Brian, guilt flashing again. “You saved her.”
Brian’s expression didn’t change. “I wasn’t going to lose her. And I wasn’t going to let you lose her either.”
“I know.” Andy nodded quickly. “I just mean—it’s fine. I’m fine.”
He wasn’t entirely. Tess could still see the weight sitting on his shoulders. But he was trying to ease the tension. Trying not to be another thing she had to worry about.
His phone rang in his hand. He glanced at the screen, and his cheeks flushed even more. “It’s.. uh... It’s Kelle.”
Tess gave him a small, steady smile. “Don’t forget to invite her for pizza tonight.” She doubted that was possible. Her brother evidently had it bad for the girl.
He nodded, strode to the back door, and stepped out onto the porch to take the call, Jinx immediately trailing after him like a self-appointed chaperone.
Brian guided Tess back to the couch. She lowered herself carefully, and he sat beside her, his arm sliding around her shoulders without hesitation. She leaned into him automatically, her body recognizing the shelter of him before her mind fully processed it.
The house was quiet again, but no longer unsettled.
Outside, Jinx barked once—high and happy—followed by the murmur of Andy’s voice on the porch. Normal sounds. Safe sounds.
Brian’s thumb traced slow arcs along her upper arm, back and forth, like he needed the reassurance that she was really there. Then he exhaled—long and controlled, like he’d been holding it in since yesterday.
“I was scared,” he admitted.
She lifted her head to look at him.
His gaze was fixed on the blank TV hanging on the living room wall above the fireplace, his jaw tight, his eyes glassy.
