My breath started coming in short, clipped bursts.
Don’t panic. Don’t panic. Don’t panic. Don’t panic.
I dragged a hand through my hair and pulled. “Fuck!”
This didn’t just happen. It couldn’t have. He stole it? All the fucking money? He could just run off into the sunset with it? What was I supposed to do? Call the police? Tell Charlotte?
Charlotte—fuck. How the hell was I going to admit any of this to her?
I was such a fucking idiot; believing he wanted to reconnect with me. Why the fuck did I trust him?
My eyes burned as I paced the kitchen, thoughts slamming around in my head with no rhyme or reason, just:You fucked up! You fucked up!Over and over again, like a notification ping—cruel and mocking.
What the fuck had I done?
He wasn’t going to give it back—it was as good as gone, and I couldn’t tell anybody. I couldn’t let anyone know how stupid I’d been.
I pressed my back to the wall, knees giving out as I sank to the floor, holding my head in my hands, fingers twisting, pulling. “Idiot.”
My chest tightened painfully. I wasn’t getting enough air.
A soft patter hit the floor beneath me.
Great. Now you’re crying. What a fucking?—
“Idiot. Idiot. Idiot.” Each word came with a harder tug. My teeth clenched so tightly it felt like they might crack.
The door creaked open.
“Idiot. Idiot. Idiot.”
Footsteps.
“Henry?” Sebastian’s voice called out.
No.
Are you fucking kidding me?
My head snapped up, and our eyes met. Sebastian was standing by the doorway, body angled to the living room but gaze locked on me—curled on the floor by the fridge, crying like a fucking kid.
Why did it have to be him?
His expression shifted instantly—from surprise to worry—and he hurried to my side, dropping to his knees. “Darling, what’s wrong?”
Idiot.
“Nothing,” I muttered, rubbing my hands over my face.
“Ethan.” His fingers brushed my wrists.
I flinched. “Nothing. Can you go away? Please go away.”
“Hey.” His voice softened, as he slid in closer, heat radiating off him. His bent knees boxed in my sides, and his hands settled gently on my shoulders. “I’m not leaving you alone like this. Youdon’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but I’m not leaving.” His rough, deep voice vibrated in the small space between us.
I shook my head.
Sebastian’s hands slid to my shoulder blades, applying the faintest pressure—just enough to ask a question without saying it. My body answered before my mind caught up, and I leaned into him. The backs of my hands, still covering my face, pressed against his chest.
