He doesn’t speak, just keeps me close, guiding me through the quiet streets. Argyros trots at our side, bristling whenever anyone passes too near.
When we finally reach the apartment, Hayes leads me straight to his room and lifts me like I weigh nothing, lowering me gently into bed. The mattress dips beneath me, soft and comforting.
“Sleep, Al. I won’t let anything happen to you,” he murmurs, pulling the blanket up around me with the kind of care reserved for something fragile. As if even the slightest draft might undo me.
Argyros hops onto the bed and curls tightly against my side, his warm body forming a small, protective wall between me and the rest of the world.His gaze locks on the door as if daring anyone to try getting past him.
As sleep creeps in, Hayes settles into the chair across from me. His arms fold across his chest, muscles still tense, his eyes never leaving mine. Steady. Watchful. Like guarding me isn’t just a choice.
It’s a promise.
I know I should feel safe with Hayes—and I do.
But the treehouse…
Something about the memory just won’t let go. Hayes wasn’t at the bottom when I started climbing, I’m sure of it.
So who the hell caught me?
Warm, wet dog kisses greet me as I blink awake in Hayes’s bed. My eyes crack open to narrow slits, the dim light of early morning bleeding in around the edges of blackout curtains. Argyros hovers above me, his rough tongue swiping across my forehead and cheeks like he’s checking for injuries.
“Morning, boy.” I gently nudge him aside, wiping slobber off my face with the back of my hand.
I slowly peel back the covers and glance around. The makeshift bed Hayes used last night—a pile of pillows and spare blankets on the floor—is empty. Miraculously, my missing phone sits on the nightstand beside me. Hayes must’ve found it.
Of course he did.
I tap the screen and scroll the text log. The last outgoing message is to my mom, sent sometime after midnight, letting her know I was safe and staying over so she wouldn’t worry.
Hayes again.
Of course he thought of that, too.
The time glows 7:02 a.m. Too early for him to be gone already, even for Sunday practice. Which means he’s still here, somewhere in the apartment.
I try to sit up, which is a mistake. A spike of pain drills through my skull, sharp and punishing, as thehangover hits full force. And with it, the memories of last night come rushing back in a brutal, unrelenting wave.
Flirting with Dylan.
Too many shots.
Laughing.
Kissing.
Pretending it was harmless fun, until it wasn’t. Until his hands turned rough and my “no” wasn’t enough.
My stomach pitches violently, my hands shaking with fury as the image of him on top of me snaps into focus. Pinning me down. Stealing my breath. Freezing me in place so completely I couldn’t move. If Hayes hadn’t shown up when he did… I don’t know what would have happened.
My God.
What was I thinking? I never should’ve kissed that asshole in the first place.
Not that I blame myself for what happened.
I know it wasn’t my fault. Still, the regret burns under my skin like acid. Not because of what I did, but because I knew better.
How did I let myself be alone with someone like that? It’s not as if Dylan’s reputation was a secret. Everyone on campus knew what kind of guy he was. Even someone like me, who usually stayed oblivious to that kind of thing.
