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Okay, he just needs a break. Which means that question hit something in him that he doesn’t want to face, which means I’m desperate to know the answer. Did someone he know die? Is that why he’s so protective?

I’m turning all the questions in my mind over as I make my way through the bowl and then help myself to another. While I’m scooping it out, I pause, then grab a second bowl and take it out to him.

Wordlessly, I hand it over, and wordlessly, he takes it.

There’s so much information I want to push him for, but I let him eat in silence and do everything I can to keep my curiosity on a leash. It’s not easy at the best of times, and it’s doubly not easy when I’m dealing with someone like Lynx.

“Did you go to Wayward?” I finally ask.

“Yes.”

“Did you see Antonio?”

“No. But I had his friend pass on a message.”

I’m not sure I even want to know. “Which was?”

“Without going into detail, there was dismemberment involved.”

I almost laugh because of course there was. “He’s going to kill us both.”

For the first time, Lynx turns to me, those frustratingly deep eyes connecting with mine. “You don’t think I can keep you safe.”

“I just know what he’s capable of.”

“But you don’t know what I’m capable of. So have some faith, little rabbit.”

I wish it were that easy. I wish I could view Lynx the same way I did back before I knew him. When I was terrified of him dismembering me and ran my chances of trying to hack my way out from behind a wall rather than face him.

Now … Lynx can swing around all the knives he wants, he can make all the threats that come to his mind, but I don’t believe he could follow through on any of them.

I’m not sure what it is that gives me that impression, but I’m sure I’m right.

I smile and give him a soft nudge with my elbow. “You told me not to trust you.”

At first, I think he’ll reinforce that mentality, but he surprises me with his answer. “Even I’m wrong sometimes.”

“Including about me being able to protect myself?”

“Definitely not about that. But when it comes to protecting you, you can trust that I won’t let them harm a hair on your head.”

I glance down at my empty bowl, trying to talk myself out of asking the next part, but my mouth just keeps wanting to get me in trouble. “Why did you react so strongly? To the scars?”

“They weren’t okay.”

“Even though I said yes to it all?”

His jaw tightens, eyes narrowing under his hood as he looks toward the forest. “The fact you said yes makes it worse. It tells me that you couldn’t say no.”

Now I’m the silent one. With two sentences, Lynx has shattered through the illusion I’ve held firm to. That if I wasn’t happy with anything, Antonio would respect that, and all I had to do was tell him no. That I went along with things because I didn’t mind, really, not when I was so well protected.

Antonio was the one I needed to be protected from the whole time.

I hunch forward, the weight of my parents throwing me out, then finding Antonio, then ending up stranded here hitting me all at once. Things were supposed to get better, so why do I feel like I’m digging myself into a deeper hole?

Lynx’s hand lands on my shoulder, warm and grounding, and it’s so unexpected that I glance up at him, surprised to find him already watching me. “Things will get better.”

“Really?” I study his face. “Did they get better for you?”