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Like Ineverdid.

He wasn’t an asshole to her.

I cry harder. I cry until my throat hurts, until my whole body is shaking, until I can’t fucking breathe anymore.

I don’t even hear the window.

Not until the bed dips behind me.

Warm arms wrap around me, pulling me against a solid chest. A familiar scent, familiar strength.

Eli.

I don’t turn. I don’t move at all.

He doesn’t say anything at first. Just holds me. One arm locked around my waist, the other rubbing slow, steady circles on my back. His warmth seeps into me, grounding me, but it’s not enough to stop the wreckage inside me.

After a while, his lips brush against my temple. “It’s okay,” he murmurs. “You have me.”

I squeeze my eyes shut.

His hand keeps moving, slow and sure. “You’ll always have me,” he says again, softer this time, like it’s a fucking promise.

I have him.

Chapter 30

Remy presses the ice pack harder against Zane’s nose, making him flinch. “You think it’s broken?”

Zane groans. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”

I don’t say shit. My hands are still curled into fists, knuckles throbbing, but it’s nothing compared to the mess in my head.

Across the room, Maya crosses her arms, staring me down. “What the hell was that, Caleb?”

I rub my hands over my face. “I don’t know.”

I do know.

Sienna.

Sienna running. Sienna’s face when she saw Maya. The way she froze, the way she shattered before she bolted.

But then there’sMaya.

The front door opens, cutting through the tension. Heavy footsteps.

Dad walks in, stopping when he sees the three of us looking like we just got dragged through hell. His eyes flick between me, Zane’s bloody face, and Remy with the ice pack.

“Jesus,” he mutters. “How bad was the game?”

Remy forces a laugh. “Game was great, Mr. McCabe.”

Dad lifts an eyebrow. “Yeah? ‘Cause you all look like shit.”

I exhale. “It’s nothing.”

His eyes narrow, but he lets it slide. “You meet the scout?”