The second I see him, my breath catches hard in my chest.
“This one’s been asking for you since we brought him in,” the nurse says with a small smile.
“Mason…” My arms open instinctively, and he doesn’t hesitate, ignoring the nurse’s protest as he carefully pulls himself up just enough to wrap his arms around me.
“I was so worried, Rocket,” he says, his voice breaking. “I’m so stupid. I let them use me to do this to you.”
I pull back just enough to take his face in my hands, forcing him to look at me.
“None of this is your fault. Do you hear me? Not one thing.”
He nods, swallowing hard, then glances at Dex.
“Thank you, man. If it weren’t for you…”
Dex just nods, placing a firm hand on Mason’s shoulder.
“Told you I’d walk through storms for her,” he says quietly. “And for you, too.”
Mason nods again, emotion still thick in his eyes.
The door opens once more, and this time the nurse sighs softly as the room fills almost instantly.
The Hawthornes.
Every single one of them.
Voices overlap, concern etched on every face as they step inside, filling the space with warmth and noise and something that presses deep into my chest.
Penny holds up her phone, and I catch a glimpse of Grace and Jace on the screen, both talking at once, their voices tinny but just as worried.
For a moment, I just look at them.
All of them.
And for the first time since waking up, I believe it.
I’msafe.
CHAPTER 30
Alexis
Two weeks have passed since Russel tried to ruin me, and even if the bruises aren’t visible anymore, the scars he left on my soul are still healing. Quieter now, less sharp at the edges, but still there.
I’m going to therapy. Penny helped me find a trauma specialist who works with abuse, and slowly, piece by piece, I’m finding my way back to myself. To something that feels likemeagain.
After they arrested Russel, Mason, Dex, and I went to visit my mother. She wasn’t in a good place, but after a long talk we managed to convince her to start rehab. We took her to a facility last week, and if all goes well, we’ll be able to visit her in a few weeks. She’s not out of that tunnel yet, not even close, but the fact that she’s trying is enough for now.
“Ready for karaoke night?” Penny smiles, already glowing in that effortless way that makes it impossible not to smile back.
Cas, Penny, Summer, and Ethan are here for their usual Thursday ritual. Karaoke, beer, and fun Thursday, somethingPenny apparently named years ago that stuck, just like everything else she touches.
“I’m ready to hear you girls rock,” I grin as I set their drinks down, my eyes drifting to her belly, small but showing now beneath the T-shirt that made all of us laugh when we first saw it.This cowboy got me pregnant.The arrow points straight at Cas, who looks far too proud of himself as his hand keeps finding its way to her belly like it belongs there.
The DJ kicks things off, and the bar shifts into something alive, loud and warm, people not just singing but committing, the whole place joining in no matter who’s holding the mic.
Even Stephen.
