Jesus Gods.
This is what that bastard Ethan Wallace did to her. Spill something, brace for the blow. Make a mistake, make yourself small. Apologize before they can hurt you. Apologize while they're hurting you. Apologize after.
I want to put my fist through a wall. I want to find that worm and tear him apart. I want to go back in time and save her before anything happened to her.
“Espie.” Sera's voice stays steady. “Look at me.”
Espie's eyes dart up. Still wide. Still terrified.
“No one is going to hurt you for spilling soup. I didn’t before and I’m not going to now. It's just soup, remember?” Sera reaches out slowly, telegraphing the movement, and wipes the drops off Espie's wrist with her thumb. “See? It’s nothing. It doesn't matter.”
Espie stares at her and Sera increases the volume of her purr.
“You're safe,” Sera says. “You're allowed to spill things. You're allowed to make mistakes. Nothing bad is going to happen.”
Aubrey laces his fingers through hers, and Espie's shoulders drop a fraction. Still wound tight. Still terrified. But a fraction. She swallows hard. Nods once. “O-okay.”
Both of them eat, but it's only a few bites before they’re full.
“I can't.” Her voice is thin. “My stomach—”
A few bites each. That’s all they managed.
“That's enough then. I’ll bring you some more later if you’re hungry.” Sera takes the bowls back and sets them aside. “You did good, Espie. You too, Aubrey.”
Aubrey's breath hitches. Something in him eases. Just a fraction. Sera's voice does something for him. Her presence, her scent, her calm. She reaches him in ways we haven't been able to.
Gods, I'm so relieved I could choke on it. He'shere. Present. He's eating. He's responding. He's in his body, but the relief is tangled up with something heavier. The damage runs so deep. Deeper than I understood. Deeper than any of us understood.
“How about we give you a bath and get the hospital smell off you. You’ll be able to rest better,” Sera says. “Would that be okay?”
They look at each other and Aubrey glances back at Sera and nods. “Th…that would be…nice,” Espie says.
They move to stand, slow and shaky, leaning on each other. Espie's eyes track to me in the doorway. Uncertain. Aubrey follows her gaze.
“Lex will make sure we have everything we need. I might need an extra pair of hands, but he'll stay back unless you say otherwise.” Sera pauses. “Would that be okay?”
I make myself stand perfectly still. Hands loose at my sides. Expression neutral. Inside, panic wells up, thick and choking.Please. Please let me help. Please don't be afraid of me.
None of it shows on my face. I hope.
They cling to each other, Espie's arm around Aubrey's waist, his hand fisted in the back of her shirt. Vulnerable. Adorable. The perfect pair. What they have, whatever it is, is special. Unheard of. Two Omegas, bonded in a way I've never seen. They're healing each other just by existing in the same space.
I want them to stay together. I want them both to be happy. And if that means I stay in the doorway forever, watching from a distance, then that's what I'll do.
Sera looks at me. Despite what she told them, she can't do this alone. Two weak Omegas, slippery bath. We both know she’llneed help. I nod, letting her know I understand. “I’ll start the water.”
I head into the private bathroom connected to this bedroom. I run the water, testing it on my wrist. Warm, not hot. My glasses fog in the steam. I take them off, tuck them in my shirt pocket. The world turns blurry.
My phone buzzes. Kev.Back. Left clothes for everyone outside the door.
I text back a thumbs up and pocket the phone. I slip out of the bathroom and catch Sera's eye. “Clothes are outside. I'll grab them when you're ready.”
She nods, then turns back to the omegas. “Come on. Nice warm water waiting for you.”
She leads them toward the bathroom, one on each side of her, and I hover in the bedroom. Useless. Uncertain. Desperate to help and knowing my help isn't wanted.
Aubrey looks over his shoulder at me. Hazel-green and glassy, like he's barely holding on.
