Zoey didn’t seem like the kind of person to let anyone see her when she was shaken. The version of her standing in front of me now was different.
The fear had passed, but her hands were still shaking slightly, and her shoulders hadn’t quite returned to their usual guarded posture.
And for some reason, she had turned to me.
The realization moved quietly through my chest.
I had spent most of my life being careful about the way I interacted with people. Careful about how much space I took up in their lives. Careful not to become the problem that needed managing.
But standing here with Zoey leaning closer to me than she had earlier, still recovering from the shock of the evening, the instinct that rose inside me was not restraint.
It was protective.
Grounded.
The same instinct that had pushed me through the woods when she called.
The same instinct that had made it impossible to ignore the fear in her voice.
Being the person she leaned on now felt right.
“Of course,” I said.
Zoey held my gaze for another second before glancing back toward Bobbi.
The girl was now firmly contained in her mother’s arms while explaining the tactical reasoning behind climbing trees when confronted with hostile animals. Several neighbors hovered nearby, offering reassurances and water bottles.
“Let’s go home,” Zoey said.
I fell into step beside her.
As soon asZoey opened her door, familiar chaos greeted us.
Markie spotted me before either of us had fully stepped through the doorway.
The bird launched off the back of the kitchen chair, and flapped halfway across the room, with the enthusiasm of a creature that had been waiting for this moment for days.
“BAD DOG!” His wings beat loudly once before he landed on the counter. “BAD DOG!”
Zoey closed the door behind us and leaned back against it, rubbing her hand over her face. “Yes,” she said. “We’ve established that.”
Markie turned his head toward me. “HELLO.”
“Hello,” I said carefully.
He leaned forward. “BAD DOG.”
I stepped farther into the room. “You called the police on me.”
Markie puffed slightly. “INTRUDER.”
Zoey snorted quietly and walked toward the kitchen. “You did break into my apartment.”
“I didn’tbreak in,” I said.
“You used a hidden key and triggered a bird.”
Markie lifted one foot. “SECURITY.”
