I gave him the opening.
Left the choice up to him.
Tyson didn’t move.He just stood there, staring at me like he was trying to decide if I was worth the trouble.
He was pissed.
Anyone with eyes could see that.
But he was also smart.He wasn’t going to storm in here and wake her up just to prove a point.Not when she needed rest.
“I’ll be back in the morning,” he said finally.It wasn’t a suggestion.It was a warning.
I nodded once.“I’ll make sure I’ve got a pot of coffee on.”
He grunted, turned on his heel, and walked down the hallway.
I watched him go two doors down.Then the third.He pulled out his keys, unlocked it, and stepped inside.
Good to know.
I shut the door, locked it, and slid the chain into place.The apartment fell quiet again.
The TV cast a soft glow across the room, some late-night show playing low enough it barely registered.
Britta was sprawled across the couch, one leg bent slightly, the other stretched out.Her arm rested carefully against her side, even in sleep like her body knew not to push it.
Her hair fanned out around her face.Messy.Soft.Peaceful.
She didn’t look like someone who’d been shot.Didn’t look like someone who’d almost died.
She just looked like… Britta.
Something in my chest shifted.
I walked over slowly, stopping beside the couch.Watched her for a second longer than I probably should have and made sure her breathing was even.
Steady.
Then I leaned down and slid one arm under her knees, the other carefully around her back.I lifted her like she weighed nothing.She stirred slightly, a soft sound slipping past her lips as her head tipped toward my shoulder.
And then… her arms moved and wrapped around me.
Loose.
Instinctive.
Like she knew even asleep, she trusted me enough to hold on.My grip tightened just a fraction and I caught her scent as she settled against me.
Strawberries.
Sunshine.
Something warm and soft that didn’t fit in the world I lived in.
It hit me harder than it should have.
I carried her down the short hallway to her bedroom, pushing the door open with my shoulder.The room was dim, lit only by the streetlights filtering in through the window.
