"Later," she said. "When we're back in our own space."
"Is that a promise?"
"It's an incentive. For both of us to survive whatever comes next."
His expression sobered. "Speaking of which. Any word from Diaz?"
"Not since this morning." Tessa stepped back, crossing her arms. The brief lightness faded, reality settling back over her like a weight. "She's got people watching the cottage, the shop, this house. But Carla's still in the wind."
"She'll make a mistake. People like her always do."
"And until then?"
"Until then, we don't give her what she wants." Brian's jaw tightened. "She wants you scared. She wants you isolated. She wants you to run. So we do the opposite. We stay. We live our lives. We don't let her win."
Tessa nodded slowly. It was easy to say, harder to do. Every time she looked out a window, she found herself scanning for unfamiliar faces. Every time her phone rang, her heart stuttered. Carla Reeves had gotten inside her head, and that was almost worse than any physical threat.
"I hate this," she admitted. "I hate that she has this power over me. I hate that I flinch every time I hear a car door slam."
"That's not weakness. That's survival instinct." Brian took her hands in his, still streaked with dried blood. "You're allowed to be afraid, Tessa. You're just not allowed to let the fear make your decisions for you."
"Is that what you did? With Lily?"
The question came out before she could stop it. She saw the flicker of pain cross his face and immediately regretted it. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have?—"
"No." He cut her off, his grip on her hands tightening. "It's a fair question. And yeah, that's exactly what I did. I let the fear win. I let it drive me away from everything I loved, everything I was good at. I spent two years hiding because I was terrified of feeling that helpless again." He met her eyes. "Don't do what I did. Don't let Carla Reeves take two years of your life."
"I won't." She said it firmly, making it a vow. "I came here to start over. I'm not going to let anyone take that from me."
"Good." He kissed her forehead. "Now I really do need that shower. I smell like a triage tent."
"You smell like a hero."
"Heroes smell better than this."
He disappeared down the hall, and Tessa stood in the living room, listening to the water start. Bree appeared in the kitchen doorway, a dishtowel in her hands.
"He told you about the accident?" Bree asked.
"He did." Tessa moved to the couch and sank into it, suddenly exhausted. "He saved that woman's life. He and Colby."
"Colby called Sabrina from the shop. She said he sounded almost giddy." Bree came to sit beside her. "Not about the accident, obviously. About Brian. About watching him step back into who he used to be."
"They've known each other a long time."
"Since EMT training in Missouri. Colby was a firefighter there before he moved here. He and Brian and Hank, they've been through a lot together." Bree tucked her legs beneath her. "When Brian stopped responding to calls, when he walked away from all of it, Colby took it hard. He understood why, but he hated seeing his friend disappear into himself like that."
"And now he's coming back."
"Because of you." Bree's voice was gentle but certain. "You showed him that it's possible to carry the weight of the things you've lost without letting them crush you. That's not nothing, Tessa. That's everything."
Tessa felt tears prick at her eyes. She'd been holding so much in, trying to be strong, trying not to fall apart in front of Brian when he needed her to be solid. But Bree's kindness cracked something open.
"I'm scared," she admitted. "I try not to be, but I am. Carla's out there somewhere, watching, waiting. And I don't know when it's going to end."
"It will end." Bree reached over and took her hand. "Diaz is good at her job. The whole town is watching out for you. And you've got Brian, Hank, Colby, Sabrina, and me. You're not alone in this."
"I know." Tessa squeezed her hand. "That's the only thing keeping me sane right now. Knowing I'm not alone."
