Page 7 of Unbreakable

“Nothing else,” I snap.

She doesn’t believe me, and I don’t blame her. Because the truth is, Tyler’s been showing up to things, and I’ve been noticing him showing up, and there’s something about his continued presence that’s starting to feel less like an intrusion and more like… intention.

Which is dangerous.

When it’s time for my reading, I walk out on stage with my printed pages and try very hard not to look into the audience.

I fail. My eyes find Tyler immediately. He’s sitting next to Carter, paying complete attention, like my words matter to him, which I know they don’t.

I don’t understand why that makes my heart race.

I read the piece, about feeling unsafe in spaces that were supposed to be welcoming, about the way silence from bystanders amplifies the harmful words being said to you, about learning to reclaim spaces that tried to reject you.

When I finish, there’s that stunned silence Lennox predicted. Then the applause starts, from the whole audience.

From Tyler, applauding like his life depends on it.

After the event, I’m standing in the hallway talking to some other writers about how well they did, then Tyler appears.

“That was incredible,” he says, sounding happy and like he really cares.

“Thanks.”

“I mean it. The way you wrote about silence, it was…” He trails off, searching for the right word. “It was transformative. For me, specifically.”

“Good.”

“Is it? Because you’re acting like you couldn’t care less what I think.” He puts his hands into his pockets.

“That’s because I can’t.”

He steps closer, and my body reacts before my brain catches up, heart rate increasing, skin flushing, awareness of his proximity becoming impossible to ignore.

“Really?” he asks quietly. “You can’t even a little bit?”

“No.”

“Liar.”

I should be offended. Should tell him to back off. Should maintain the wall I’ve been building for two years.

Instead, I feel something crack inside me, and I hate myself for it.

“You don’t get to do this,” I say, keeping my voice low. “You don’t get to show up and apologize and try to be better and expect me to suddenly forgive you. You don’t get to make this about your redemption arc.”

“I’m not trying to.”

“Yes, you are. It’s all very noble and very pathetic.” I feel bad about saying it, but it’s how I'm feeling right now.

“Pathetic?”

“You’re trying to earn forgiveness. And I don’t have it to give, but I have no idea why?”

“I’m not trying to earn anything from you, Cassie. I’m trying to earn the respect of the person I’m becoming. There’s a difference.”

Something about the way he says it, matter-of-fact, without expecting reciprocation makes me realize he might actually mean it.

Which is the most dangerous thing that’s happened yet. When I first saw him I thought he was so good looking, and I wanted him, but that all changed when I finally saw the real Tyler.