"But you were gone."
"I know. That wasn't your fault."
"My father found out," I say, barely above a whisper. "That I tried to help you. That's why he was going to sell me at the next auction."
Anna's face drains of color. "What?"
"You getting taken. Me trying to save you. That's why I ended up—" I glance back at Knox. "Why I ran."
Her breath shudders. "I never knew he was going to do that for trying to help me."
"It's not your fault. It was never your fault."
"But you tried to save me, and he was going to get rid of you for it."
"Yeah. But I'd do it again."
"What?"
"I'd try again. Even knowing what it cost."
Tears spill down Anna's cheeks. She closes the distance and pulls me into a fierce hug. Her arms lock around my shoulders, tight enough that I feel her ribs expand with every breath.
"You tried to save me," she whispers. "And it destroyed your life."
"It ended that life. But I built a new one." I step back. "So did you."
She wipes her face roughly, the heel of her palm dragging hard under each eye. "I never blamed you."
"I blamed myself for both of us."
"Stop," she says firmly. "Stop carrying guilt for trying to save me."
A shaky laugh escapes before I can catch it. "Deal."
She squeezes my hands, glances past me toward the back of the cabin. "Tobias has carried it too. He does." I look at him. He's in his seat, palms on the armrests, watching us. His shoulders are rigid, jaw working, eyes holding the same weight I've been dragging for years. "The only people who should carry blame," Anna says, "are the ones who took me. And the ones who tried to sell you for stopping them."
My ribs loosen. My grip eases around hers. "I've been so scared to see you."
Anna's smile is sad, one corner pulling higher than the other. "McKenzie told me. That's part of why I wanted to come. So you'd stop running from me."
I squeeze her hands. "I'm glad you're here."
"Me too." Her expression shifts, jaw setting. "And I'm going to walk through that building."
"Anna—"
"I need to see it empty. I need to walk through it when I'm the one with power. When I'm the one who gets to leave." Her voice turns firm. "I need to take that back."
"I'll walk it with you."
"You sure?"
"We tried to save you then. We couldn't. But we can do this now. Together."
She squeezes once more, lets go. Anna glances back at Tobias. He's watching her from his seat, unwavering, waiting. She turns to me.
"I'm going to go sit with him."
