Surely, he’s speaking about me. He loves me.
The truth blooms inside me, bright and overwhelming. It pushes past the fear, the confusion, and the chaos.
Because I love him too.
I’ve known for a while. I just never said it. The words have sat heavy on my tongue, trapped there by doubt. By the fear that it was too soon. That I was too much. That he would look at me with that careful distance and gently push me away.
But he feels it too.
He said it.
The door is opened, and time snaps back into place. Our eyes immediately lock. Surprise flashes in his mesmerizing gray eyes. Then something softer. Vulnerable. Almost boyish in a way that makes my heart ache.
He knows I heard.
So many things pass between us in that moment. Questions. Fear. Hope. Relief.
I want to run to him. I want to touch him. I want to tell him that I love him too.
But one of the detectives steps in front of him, disrupting the moment. The detectives lead him out. He resists for half a second, his gaze never leaving mine. His jaw tightens, like he’s fighting the urge to break free.
Then he lets them move him.
He glances back once as the door closes between us.
The officer gestures. “Miss Winters.”
I step into the room on unsteady legs.
The chair is still warm from Wilder. The air still charged with his anger. I sit, gripping the edge of the table to ground myself.
One of the detectives studies me. “We just need to ask you a few questions.”
I nod. I don’t trust my voice yet.
They begin, throwing questions at me, each more ridiculous than the last. My irritation grows with every passing second. The picture they’re painting is so far from the truth it feels absurd. Wilder has never trapped me. Never forced me. If anything, he gave me more freedom than anyone ever has.
I answer carefully and clearly, keeping my tone firm.
“Wilder has never and will never hurt me. He helped me when I had nowhere to go”
The detective leans back. “Miss Winters, your mother reported you missing.”
The words slam into me.
“My…mother?”
“Yes. She claims you were taken and are being held captive.”
Heat floods my body, anger burning away the last traces of fear.
Of course she did.
Of course.
My hands curl into fists. “That’s ridiculous.”
“She seemed very concerned.”
