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No. No. No. No. Noooooo.

The tears are back with a vengeance.

“This is the rug. It’s being ripped out from underneath me. I knew it. I knew it. I fucking knew it–

Gideon’s in my face before I can spiral any further.

“Winnow, baby, what? Whatever it is you're thinking, it’s notthat.You remember before, when I told you she had a hard time letting me go?”

I nod, face crumpling as his thumbs stroke away my tears.

“Well, that was a massive understatement because I was afraid you wouldn’t wanna deal with me anymore. The truth is that I had to get a restraining order against her because she was stalking me. Almost everywhere I went. I would wake up in the middle of the night to her trying to break into my house. She would show up at my gym, restaurants, grocery shopping, whatever. She set my fucking truck on fire. If I went to a bar with my friends, she would show up. If a woman tried to talk to me, she’d show up outta nowhere and attack her. I couldn’t live a normal life because of her. It was insane, and I was fucking terrified of telling you because I couldn’t imagine you would wanna be anywhere near me if you knew all the baggage that came along with me.”

Oh my gods.

I’m speechless. I’m in shock. I’m…furious.

Several tense moments pass, and the longer his words have to sink in, the more my heart thunders.

“She did all of that to you?”

Gideon’s expression tightens further, wary of my inevitable reaction.

“Yes.”

A certain calming resolve settles upon my shoulders as Gideon’s eyes dance between each of mine.

“Angel, please say something. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

I shake my head. “I don’t care about that.”

The uncertainty on Gideon’s face tells me he doesn’t know how to interpret my reaction. “It doesn’t… scare you away?”

My brows pinch. “Why should I be scared?”

Gideon gives me a look like it should be obvious. “Well, she’s… capable of violence. Prone to it even. And as you’ve already discovered, she’s still fucking haunting me. I wouldn’t blame you if you felt that was too much to deal with. Not that I would ever allow her to touch a singular hair on your…”

He thinks I would fear this human woman?

Humor seizes my insides, and my entire body tenses, trying to hold it back.

Gideon’s words drift as he takes in my expression: lips curled inward, over my teeth as the corners of my eyes crinkle with mirth.

Perhaps it’s all the stress, or my past trauma, but I’m shaking, trying to hold back my laughter.

Gideon gives me a sideways look. “Winnow, baby… Are you alright?”

I nod, wiping at the tears in my eyes as I try to stop my hysterical, mostly silent giggles.“Yes.”

“What’s so funny?”

Well, not to toot my own horn here, but…

“Nothing at all. I just…”

Survived years of physical torture and violence at the hands of fae, daemon, orc, and countless other formidable males twice my size.

“Can handle her. Don’t worry.”