“We’ll deal with it when the time comes—the four of us. Now, let’s order some food. When she wakes up she’s going to be hungry.”
I pick my phone up from where it’s sitting beside me on the porch and open up the delivery app.
Chapter 45
Dylan
Ididn’t come all this way for Brock to fuck it up now.
That’s the only thought running through my mind as I wake up. I sit up, staring at my hands. They’re trembling slightly, though I wish they weren’t.
Matthew’s arms are still wrapped around me, his warmth a steady comfort even though I can feel the tension radiating off him. He hasn’t said much since I told them about Brock, but I can feel every unsaid word hovering between us. His jaw is tight, his body rigid, as if he’s holding himself back from exploding. Ford’s sitting on the edge of the couch, his fingers tapping restlessly on his knee. I can tell he’s ready to do something—anything—to make this right. Jacob though, he’s the one who looks like he’s about to lose it. He’s pacing, running his hands through his hair, muttering under his breath. His anger is palpable, suffocating almost.
I’ve never seen them like this before. Not all at once. Not this furious.
And it’s because of me.
“I’m okay, guys. Tonight just shook up the memory. I’ll be fine,” I say, my voice breaking the thick silence. It sounds smaller than I intended, but it’s enough to make them all stop and look at me.
Matthew’s grip tightens slightly, as if he’s afraid to let go. “Dylan, you don’t have to protect him. He doesn’t deserve that.”
I shake my head, pulling away from him gently, needing a little space. “I’m not protecting him. I just… I don’t want this to turn into something bigger than it has to be.”
Ford looks at me, his dark eyes searching mine. “How can you say that? After everything he did to you?”
I swallow hard, feeling the weight of their concern, their protectiveness, pressing down on me. I get it. I really do. They’re angry for me. They want to make it right however they can, even if that means going after Brock. But that’s not what I want. Not anymore.
“I’ve moved on,” I whisper, more to myself than them. “I’ve come so far since then. I’m happy now. I’m not letting him drag me back into that nightmare.”
Jacob stops pacing, his gaze sharp as he looks at me. “You don’t think you should press charges? Make sure he can’t do this to anyone else?”
My stomach twists at the thought. Bringing this all back to the surface, the legal mess, the public scrutiny—it would unravel everything I’ve worked so hard to rebuild. I just want to live my life, with them, without this shadow hanging over us.
“No,” I say firmly, meeting Jacob’s eyes. “I don’t want to press charges. I don’t want to drag this out. I’ve spent years putting this behind me, and I don’t want to give him any more of my energy. I want him in the rearview.”
“But, Dylan—” Jacob starts, but I cut him off, shaking my head.
“No. Please, listen to me. I’ve moved on. I’ve healed. It shook me seeing him again, yes, but I won’t let him control my life anymore. He doesn’t get to have that power.”
They stare at me for a long moment, the muscles in their jaws ticking. They want justice for me. But they don’t realize thatthis—this life I have with them—is my justice. This is my victory.
I take a deep breath, steadying myself. “I didn’t come all this way to let him ruin what I have now. I didn’t survive him just to live in fear of him for the rest of my life. I want to live, really live, and I want to do that with you guys. Not while dragging that weight behind me.”
Matthew leans forward, resting his forehead against the back of my neck. I can feel his breath, warm against my skin, and the tension in his body starts to ease just a bit. “We just don’t want him to hurt you again,” he murmurs.
“He won’t,” I say, my voice stronger this time. “He won’t. Because I’m not that girl anymore. I’m not the girl who was scared and alone and didn’t know how to fight back. I’ve already fought my way out of that. You don’t have to worry.”
“But we do,” Ford whispers. “We’ll always worry about you.”
I look around the room, at the three men who have somehow become my world, and I feel the love, the intensity of it, wash over me. It’s overwhelming in the best way. They care about me so much that it makes them angry—angry at anyone who has ever hurt me, angry that they can’t protect me from my past.
“I know you will,” I say, trying to smile, though my heart aches a little for them. “But you can’t fix this for me. It’s already been fixed. It’s done. And I don’t want to dig it up again.”
Jacob’s still standing there, staring at me, his hands balled into fists at his sides. I can see the conflict in his eyes, the war between wanting to respect my wishes and wanting to protect me at all costs.
He finally lets out a long breath, his shoulders dropping as if he’s letting go of some of the tension he’s been holding. “I hate that this happened to you,” he says, his voice rough, raw. “I hate that we didn’t know. And I hate that I can’t make it right.”
“You are making it right,” I tell him softly. “Just by being here. By loving me. That’s all I need. I don’t need revenge. I just need you.”
