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But that's our problem now, not hers.
She looks like she wants to ask another question, but Dan shifts beside her and winces, one hand moving instinctively toward his bruised ribs.
“I think you need to rest,” she says.
“I think you're starting to sound like your mother.”
He receives another glare for that.
The moment is enough to break the tension, and before long, everyone starts saying their goodbyes. Nadia hugs Cora and promises to call her later. Sierra and Elodie do the same. And Raiden clasps my shoulder before following Elodie out.
River is exhausted, and Royal leaves last after telling me that he still has more work to do with the information from Dan’s drive.
Then he pauses beside me. “Don’t fuck this up.”
I glare at him. “Get out.”
He grins before leaving. The door closes. Silence settles over the apartment. It is just me, Cora, and Dan. And suddenly, I realize Dan is watching us.
Fuck.
There is no way he hasn’t noticed something. The tension between us is probably as obvious as a neon sign.
Dan slowly gets to his feet. “Mind if I take a shower?”
“Go ahead,” I say.
I grab a clean T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants from my room and hand them to him. They'll be too big, but they're better than the clothes he's been wearing for the last week.
Cora immediately steps toward him. “Are you sure you don't need help?”
“I can shower by myself.”
“Dad.”
He gives her a tired look. “I’m injured, not eighty.”
I almost laugh as he heads toward the bathroom. A few minutes later, I hear the shower turn on.
“You’re worried.”
I already know what she means. “About what?”
She folds her arms. “My father.”
I sigh. “He trusted me, Cora.”
“And you protected me.”
“I was supposed to keep you safe, not…”
“Fall in love with me?” The words stop me.
Cora steps closer. “I’m not a child, Roman. I’m an adult, and everything that happened between us happened because I wanted it to.”
“I know.” I look at her as she reaches for my hands.
“You saved me. You saved my father. You have spent the last week putting your own life on the line to protect us, and somehow, through all of this, I fell in love with you.” My chest tightens. Cora looks nervous now, but she doesn’t look away. “I love you, Roman Taylor.”