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“It’s okay, Sawyer.” Landry rushed forward, her hands gentle on Sawyer’s shoulders, trying to anchor her.

I didn’t move. She wasn’t seeing me. She was somewhere else entirely.

“No!” Sawyer screamed again, flailing slightly, trying to push away. “Don’t touch me!”

Ice slid through me. My pulse hammered. My palms went up higher instinctively to show I wasn’t a threat as I continued to take a step back. Before I could speak again, Lane was there. His stride was long and deliberate; his shadow fell between us.

“Enough,” he said, his voice low and hard, eyes narrowing on me. His stare cut like a blade. I blinked at him. The walls seemed to close in.

“Lane—she’s panicking! I didn’t—”

“Cali. Step back.” His hand closed around my elbow, and for one second I was seventeen again. Those same hands had pulled me away from Dawton. Away from the moment neither of us could undo. The sudden pull nearly knocked me off-balance, my heart lurching. “You’re done here.”

“Lane!” I said, yanking slightly to free myself. My voice pitched with desperation. “I swear, I didn’t—”

Firm footsteps approached behind Sawyer, and Soren stepped between Sawyer and the room. Pulling her against his chest as though he could shield her from everything outside his arms, he murmured low words only she could hear. Her breathing broke into sharp gasps before gradually evening out, her hands clutched in his shirt. My feet were rooted to the floor. I couldn’t leave until I knew she was okay.

“I’m good,” Sawyer said finally, almost in a whisper, apologetic, still trembling in Soren’s grasp.

I stepped back again, hands dropping, watching as she tried to gather herself. My stomach twisted with guilt I couldn’t explain. I knew what I had done that night, why I had stepped in. Sawyer looked at me like I belonged in her nightmare.

The past came in jagged flashes. Lane’s face. Jaw tight. Eyes burning. Stepping between Dawton and me. The asphalt beneath my feet, hot enough to burn through my sneakers. Sawyer’s tiny arms shaking in my grasp. Dawton’s voice, sharp and cruel. Lane’s fists. Sirens cutting through the night. Handcuffs. My life split into before and after.

I swallowed hard. “Sawyer . . .” My voice barely held.

Her bright blue eyes widened, still held in Soren’s steady grip. “I—yes. I—” Her voice caught, unsteady. “You—you helped me.”

“Yes,” I said, breath shaky.

The gym was quiet for a long moment. Landry lingered a step behind, her expression guarded and alert. Jonah stood on the outskirts, his tall frame watching, unreadable.

Lane’s grip on my arm eased, but he didn’t release me. He just stood there, eyes locked on mine, harsh and protective, but underneath it was something else. Fear. The same fear I’d seen in his eyes that night. Something passed between us. The weight of a night neither of us had ever truly escaped. I glanced at Sawyer, who was trembling but slowly regaining composure.

“You’re safe now,” I whispered, the words barely more than a breath.

Sawyer blinked at me, voice small and shaky. “Thank you . . . for everything.”

Lane finally released my arm, taking a step back. His grip lingered long after he let go. He watched me like he had that night, as if he knew the truth and the lie in the same moment.

Soren adjusted Sawyer in his arms, giving me a small steady nod. “It’s okay,” he said simply. “You’re all right.” His eyes kept flickering to Lane with questions.

I swallowed hard, chest tight, eyes finding Sawyer one last time before dropping to the floor. My throat felt raw; my hands still hadn’t stopped trembling.

Landry finally stepped forward, breaking the tension. “Let’s go run,” she said with forced brightness. “Get some energy out.”

I nodded, shoulders still tight, but I needed space. Sawyer glanced at me one last time, tentatively, as if the memories of that night were still too sharp, and I gave her a small closed-lip smile. Landry stopped and squeezed her shoulder before saying something that only she could hear.

The gym doors swung open as we pushed outside. I could feel Lane a few steps behind us, his eyes never leaving me, a shadow I couldn’t shake. Did he remember everything as vividly as I did?

I exhaled slowly, forcing my shoulders to relax, knowing this had reopened more than just memories. Some doors didn’t stay closed just because you walked away. And Sawyer, trembling in Soren’s arms, reminded me of why I had left and why I had never wanted to return. The past wasn’t staying buried. Maybe I’d never been the only one haunted.

Seventeen

Lane

The air felt different after the words left my mouth. Something invisible adjusted its weight in the room. Whatever happened next, we couldn’t go back to before. A beat passed before I shifted my weight. Hands stayed buried in my pockets, shoulders rounded.

“I remembered you,” I said, quieter this time. “I thought there was something familiar about you, but something clicked a few months ago.”