Page 208 of Only Be Mine

His shoulders relaxed a fraction. “That’s right,” he replied.

The lie sat between us.

I didn’t trust him.

I didn’t feel safe.

And for the first time, I understood something crucial.

Trevor had planned for every scenario except one.

The moment I stopped being afraid of losing him and started being afraid of him.

He watched me carefully.

Still assessing.

Still deciding.

And I knew, deep in my bones, that whatever happened next would depend entirely on how convincing I could be.

Because the doors were locked.

And the man who loved me had just shown me exactly what that meant.

Chapter 72

Cate

Present

Icouldn’t let him see it.

Not the fear.

Not the revulsion.

Not the shift.

If Trevor sensed I was slipping away, even emotionally, this would turn.

Fast.

So, I softened.

It felt like stepping back into an old skin. One I’d worn for years without realizing it was armor.

I let my shoulders drop. Let my jaw unclench. Let my breathing slow.

“I’m not turning on you,” I said quietly.

Trevor watched me with careful intensity, like he was waiting for the truth to leak out of my pores.

“You think this was easy for me?” he asked.

There it was, the narrative pivot.

I let my eyes glisten - not forced, not dramatic. Just enough. “I don’t know,” I whispered.