Page 7

Emmy

I sat cross-legged on Austin’s bed, my laptop balanced on my thighs as I scrolled through post after post, searching for any trace of Luke. A much better activity than dwelling on the kiss from a few days ago or the danger I’d been in at Rusty’s. I was still having nightmares about that.

That damn kiss. It had knocked the breath from my lungs, shattered every defense I’d spent years rebuilding. And worse? I’d kissed him back. Not just kissed him—melted for him, clung to him like I still belonged to him. Like I still wanted to belong to him. That realization had shaken me to my core because I did want more. More than his lips, more than his touch. And that infuriated me.

I should hate him for what he did—for choosing the Kings over me, for breaking my heart. Instead, I found myself craving the heat of his body, the rough scrape of his hands.

No. I refused to be that girl again, the one who fell too easily, who let love blind her to the inevitable heartbreak. So I focused on the screen in front of me, let the cold glow of it ground me, reminding me why I was really here—finding Luke. Not falling for Austin all over again.

Even in Austin’s room with the door closed, the clubhouse was loud around me—men laughing, talking, bottles clinking, music playing over it all—but it faded to the background.

I didn’t belong here. Not in Austin’s bed. Not in his world.

But Luke did. And if there was even the smallest chance I could discover something—anything—to help me find him, I’d take it.

My fingers flew across the keyboard as I checked every possible angle. I started by combing all the social media accounts I had. Luke only had a Facebook page, and he didn’t update often. I went back through all the pictures and videos on his account, looking for clues. I made note of people in pictures that I didn’t know. I’d ask Austin later if he recognized them. That is, if Austin ever showed back up. I hadn’t seen him since the kiss.

Then I went back through my message threads with Luke, checking for something I’d missed. Sadly, I realized that I’d become a shitty sister judging by the spotty contact with my brother. The brother who practically gave up his life to raise me. He’d been little more than a kid himself when he’d taken on the responsibility of parenting a pre-teen.

I found nothing. I blew out a frustrated breath. It had been a long shot; I knew that. But what else could I do?

Just as I was about to close out of another dead-end lead, there was a knock at the door. I looked up as it opened, and a familiar voice had me grinning.

“Hey, sweetheart.”

I snapped my laptop closed and pushed up from the bed, my arms already open.

Candy.

The blonde waitress-turned-cook had been around for years, one of the few people in this place I’d actually liked back in the day. She hadn’t changed much—still rocking tight jeans, a crop top, and the same knowing smirk. I’d never ask her age, but she had to be in her forties yet still dressed like a rock star.

“Damn, girl, it’s been too long,” Candy murmured, squeezing me tight before pulling back to look me over. “Still gorgeous, still got that sharp-ass attitude, I bet.”

I had to laugh. “You know me.”

Candy flopped onto the bed beside me with a dramatic sigh. “Yeah, I do. Used to be my partner in crime, remember? Back when we’d sneak shots from the bar and pretend we weren’t totally wasted?”

A snort escaped me. “I remember you being wasted. I was usually the one dragging your drunk ass back to your room.”

She grinned. “Details.”

She nudged my shoulder. “I missed you, Em. I thought you were going to college in town, and then you just up and disappeared.”

Guilt twisted in my chest. That had been the plan. “I had to leave.”

Candy studied me for a long moment, then nodded like she understood. “I get it. But you were happy here, Emmy. At least, I thought you were.”

I looked away. “It wasn’t the place, Candy. It was... everything else.”

She leaned back on her elbows, watching me. “By ‘everything else,’ you mean Austin?”

“That obvious, huh?”

“You two were practically legendary. Everyone in the club saw it. Hell, some of the ladies even took bets on when he’d make you his old lady.”

That surprised me. “You’re kidding.”

She shook her head. “Not even a little. You were it for him, Em. And I think he was it for you too.”

Something thick settled in my throat, and I swallowed hard. “Doesn’t mean it was enough.”

Candy was quiet for a moment before saying, “You never wanted this life, did you?”

“No,” I admitted. “I couldn’t do it. The danger. The violence. The way the club always came first. I watched my dad die in this life, and I spent years terrified Luke would die in it too. Now he’s missing. A nightmare come to life.” I let out a slow breath. “I wanted more. I wanted something stable. Something safe.”

She nodded, understanding in her eyes. “I get that. But, Emmy… the club isn’t just about the bad. It’s about family. Loyalty. Taking care of your own. The kind of love that doesn’t break, no matter how much time passes.”

I blinked, caught off-guard.

She continued, “Yeah, it’s dangerous, but so is life. At least in the club, you know someone’s always got your back. You know if you’re in trouble, there are people willing to go to war for you. It’s a family that everyone here chose. I’ll admit, Austin’s father was a shit Prez. But now our pride is back, and we have the leadership of a good man.”

Candy smiled, softer now. “I just think… maybe you left because you wanted to prove you could. That you weren’t just Luke’s little sister or Austin’s girl—that you could stand on your own, make a life for yourself outside of the club. And maybe you did. But you and Austin? You two have always been fire, and I don’t think fire like that ever really goes out.”

I looked down at my hands, emotions swirling inside me. I’d never thought of it that way. I hated to admit that she was probably right. My job dealt with counseling children and young adults—why had I not been able to realize my own issues? Not that it really changed anything. Candy had given me a lot to think about.

Before I could find the right words, she clapped her hands together. “Anyway, enough with the deep shit. I actually came here for a reason.”

I sat up straighter. “You never need a reason to visit a friend, and I hope you still are.”

“We are. Heard you were looking for Luke.”

My heart kicked. I swallowed. “You’ve seen him?”

She shook her head. “Not recently, but we used to go to fights together. Underground ones.”

Underground fights?

She must’ve seen the surprise on my face because she gave a slow nod. “Yeah, babe. Luke fought back in the day. Helped him make ends meet.”

My heart dropped, how did I not know. Fights? Luke had never told me that. Not once.

A rush of guilt settled in my stomach. How had I not known? He’d been putting himself in danger, beating the shit out of men for money, all to take care of me. To make sure I had food to eat and clothes to wear. College… had he helped me pay for college with the money he’d earned from fighting?

I felt sick.

“Jesus, Candy,” I whispered, sinking back down on the bed. “I had no idea.”

“He didn’t want you to, honey.”

The lump in my throat felt big as a boulder. Luke had always protected me. Even from the truth.

Candy pulled out her phone and swiped through some pictures. “Look, here.”

I leaned in. A photo of Candy and Luke flashed on the screen. He looked younger, but still rough around the edges. A cut on his cheek, his arm slung around Candy, sweat dampening his shirt. Thinking back, I remembered him coming home with cuts and bruises that he explained happened during “club business.”

In the picture, Candy was looking up at Luke, and by the expression on her face… “Are you and Luke together?”

She gave a raspy cackle. “Lord, no. I mean, we fuck, but that’s about it. He’s a straight-up kind of man, and we share a love for the fights. Now don’t you get that look on your face. I had a man once. He beat the shit out of me on a regular basis before the Kings saved me. I’ve been happy as a clam ever since and have no desire to ever settle for one man again when I can have a club-full.” She laughed at her own joke.

I had known Candy for a long time, but I’d never known about the abuse. Or that the Kings had saved her. Honestly, I didn’t know much about the actual dealings of the club. Club business stayed club business and wasn’t discussed with outsiders. Because of my gender I was considered only a level above an outsider even as Luke’s sister or Austin’s girlfriend.

I bit my lip, mentally shaking myself to get back to the task at hand. Luke. “Are there any more recent pictures?”

Candy hesitated, then opened a different app. A private site. “I shouldn’t be sharing this. It’s where they let everyone know when and where the fights are going to be. It’s all in code, but there are some non-fight pictures. You know, nothing the cops could use to shut them down.”

My pulse spiked as she tapped on a video. The footage was shaky, the lighting terrible. We watched almost a dozen videos before I saw it.

There. I backed the video up for a closer look, and I was sure beyond a shadow of a doubt, it was a glimpse of Luke. Just for a second, moving through the crowd.

My hands shook as I searched for the time stamp. I gasped loudly when I found it and saw the date matched. The night Luke went missing. My heart slammed against my ribs.

Candy leaned in closer and asked, “What is it, Emmy?”

I shot to my feet, running to the door. “I need to find Austin.”

“No.”

I braced myself as Austin’s stare burned into me, his jaw locked so tight I thought it might crack. His broad shoulders were rigid, fists clenched at his sides like he was holding himself back from shaking some damn sense into me. But I wasn’t backing down.

“You’re not going. Have you forgotten how well sticking your damn nose in where it doesn’t belong worked for you a few days ago?” he said again, slower this time, voice deep and controlled in that way that used to send shivers down my spine.

Not this time.

He was right, and if I was going to get to the fights, I needed to admit it. “I’m sorry about that. You were right. I should’ve stayed in the car. But Candy has been there plenty of times with Luke. I really want to go with you. I might see something or hear something you miss. Luke’s my brother, Austin. I need to be there. I promise I’ll do whatever you say.”

“Rusty’s was a fucking pony ride compared to this. You think I’m taking you to a goddamn underground fight? With men who’d slit a throat just for looking at them wrong?”

I did. “If Luke was there the night he disappeared, then that’s where I need to be. I’ll stay by your side the whole time. Plus, I know how to read emotions and body language. I might pick up on something that could help us find Luke.”

I could see it—the war raging inside him. The part of him that wanted to throw me over his damn shoulder and lock me in his room for my own safety. And the part that knew me well enough to understand it wouldn’t work. He was also realizing I could be a help.

His nostrils flared, his chest rising and falling in heavy breaths. I could almost hear the words forming in his mind, the argument he wanted to make, the fight he wanted to have with me about why this was too dangerous. About how I didn’t belong in a place like that.

But I did. Because Luke had been there. And nothing—not Austin, not his club, not even my own fear—was going to keep me from finding him.

His eyes darkened. Then—“Fine.” His voice rough and dragging over my skin like a warning. “But you stay by my side, don’t talk to anybody, and if I say leave, we leave.”

The underground fight was exactly what I had expected—and nothing like I had expected.

The place reeked of sweat, beer, and desperation. The dim lighting cast shadows against the caged ring in the center of the warehouse. The crowd pressed in close, their shouts echoing off the metal walls as two men pounded fists into each other’s faces, the dull thuds of impact making my stomach churn.

I could feel Austin’s presence at my back, solid and unmoving, a silent guardian as we wove through the crowd. His hand found the small of my back, a gentle yet possessive touch.

“So what’s the play? Are we going to start asking around, approach anyone who looks…cagey?” I probably shouldn’t have chuckled at my own joke.

Austin sighed and ran a hand down his face. “See, this is why you shouldn’t have come. This isn’t a Sunday social. Around here, you don’t ask questions. That’s a sure way to get your ass handed to you.”

He pointed to the bar in the back, surprisingly not packed like the rest of the place. “Go sit at the bar and don’t move. I’m going to go talk to a guy.”

“Why can’t I come?” I really didn’t want to be separated from Austin. The place gave me the creeps, and to think my brother was a regular here, fighting to give me a better life. Frustration burned in my chest. I refused to believe Luke had been here and left no trace. Someone knew something.

My gaze went from the mob of screaming fight fans to Austin’s unwavering eyes. He didn’t need to say a word. I gave him a nod and headed toward the bar, choosing a seat by a woman, hoping to be left alone.

The woman’s blonde hair was pulled into a messy ponytail, a faded scar running from her eyebrow to her cheekbone. She sipped from a beer bottle, her eyes darting toward the ring as she spoke.

“You new here?” she asked, giving me a quick onceover.

“Something like that.” I hesitated before adding, “I’m looking for someone.”

The woman hummed, taking another drink. “Ain’t we all?”

Holding on to my composure with a death grip, I chose my words carefully. “I think he used to fight here. Years ago. And I heard he might’ve been back recently.”

The woman’s interest piqued slightly. “What’s his name?”

Before I could answer, my gaze drifted beyond her, landing on a man standing near the edge of the crowd. My stomach dropped. I knew him. I couldn’t place exactly how, but I’d seen him before. And then I did remember. I’d seen him with Luke several times, years ago, when I lived at home. He’d always made my skin crawl, and I’d asked Luke why he wanted to be friends with someone like that. He’d told me to mind my own business.

The woman noticed where my attention had gone and stiffened. “You don’t wanna be looking at him too long, sweetheart.”

“Why?” I asked, forcing my voice to stay steady.

“Because he’s Satan reincarnate,” she said simply. “And he don’t like people prying into his business. He’s been banned from fighting here. That should tell you something about a person when they fight too dirty for an underground operation.”

I swallowed, my pulse hammering. “Do you know his name?”

The woman hesitated, then nodded. “They call him Riker. He’s a nasty son of a bitch. Just last week, I saw him beat a man so bad he had to be dragged outta here. And it wasn’t even in the ring. I’d gone to the bathroom and saw them in one of the back rooms.”

Ice slid through my veins, and the hairs on the back of my neck bristled. I had that feeling.

I turned my phone on and pulled up a picture of Luke. “Was this the man he beat up?”

The woman’s lips pressed together as she studied the photo. “Yeah, that’s him. I remember now. Is this the guy you’re looking for?”

My breath lurched, and I nodded. “He’s my brother. Please. Do you remember when?”

The knowing look of regret on the woman’s face, like she knew the chances of finding Luke alive were slim, brought tears to my eyes. “A few weeks back, I guess. Bad fight. Riker was on him, and when it was over…” She shook her head. “Your boy didn’t walk out of here on his own.”

“Someone carried him out?” I whispered, barely able to get the words past the lump in my throat.

The woman nodded. “Yeah. Two other guys. Like a damn sack of potatoes. He was beat to hell.”

I barely heard Austin step up behind me, his body radiating tension. “Who took him?” he asked.

The woman looked Austin up and down before she shook her head again. “Don’t know. I turned away after that. Figured it wasn’t my business.”

Anger and fear twisted inside me like a storm. Luke had been here. He had been hurt. And someone had taken him away.

Before I could say anything else, a vicious roar erupted from the crowd as a brawl broke out near the ring, men shoving, swinging, shouting. The air shifted in an instant—what had been simmering tension expanded into full-blown violence. Bodies surged, fists flying, chairs scraping against the concrete floor as people scrambled to either join in or get the hell out of the way.

A big, woolly-looking man came flying through the air and would have landed square on me, but Austin reacted instantly, grabbing the man by the shirt and literally tossing him to the ground. Woolly jumped up quickly for a large man and started swinging.

I barely had time to register the movement before Austin easily deflected his blows. Then he lunged, his fist colliding with the man’s face in a sickening crack. The guy went down hard, crumpling against a table, knocking over drinks and scattering chips from an illegal betting pot.

Another man, bigger and meaner looking, took the opportunity to swing at Austin, his knuckles grazing his jaw. The hit barely fazed him. Austin moved like a predator, fluid and precise, dodging the next swing before delivering a brutal uppercut. Blood sprayed from the guy’s mouth as he staggered back, eyes rolling.

My instincts were screaming at me to back away, to put distance between myself and the chaos. But I couldn’t—not when Austin was in the middle of it, fists flying, body a blur of raw power.

It was a brutal dance, a whirlwind of movement—men grunting, cursing, grappling for dominance. The sounds of flesh hitting flesh echoed through the warehouse, but Austin never hesitated, never faltered.

Then I saw it. A flash of silver. A knife.

“Austin!” I screamed, shoving forward.

Everything slowed.

Austin spun just as the blade slashed through the air, barely missing his eye but cutting across his forehead. A thin line of red appeared almost instantly, blood trickling down his temple.

But Austin didn’t stop. With a growl, he grabbed the bastard by the collar, slamming his skull against the concrete wall with a loud crunch. The man went limp, sliding to the ground, unconscious.

Austin panted, chest heaving with deep, controlled breaths. He turned, his eyes locking on to mine, and something fierce passed between us.

“Let’s go,” he ordered, voice tight.

He grabbed my hand and pulled me through the pandemonium.

People were still fighting, beer bottles smashing, the crowd surging and shifting like a violent tide. My pulse pounded in my ears as I gripped Austin’s hand tighter, following his lead as he navigated through the mess.

The cool night air was like the answer to a prayer when we finally burst through the exit. Austin didn’t stop until we were far away from the warehouse, his grip on my wrist still firm but not painful.

He turned to me, eyes dark, wild, still high on adrenaline. “You okay?”

I could only nod, my throat too constricted to speak.

He exhaled harshly, running a hand through his blood-streaked hair. His fingers came away red, but he didn’t seem to care. He was still watching me, his features schooled, but the concern was there.

And maybe something else too. Something that made my chest ache.

I didn’t resist when Austin led me to the car, his hold ever present on my hand as if he expected me to break apart at any moment.

Because I was breaking.

Not from fear. Not from the fight. But from the truth I could no longer deny.

I still loved him.

The ride to the clubhouse was quiet. Too much time to think. There was something else, something more personal that I needed to know. It had been bothering me since I found out. I shifted in my seat, glancing at Austin briefly before looking back out the window. “Did you know about Luke fighting?”

The question hung there in the air, punctuated only by the sound of the engine and the swish of tires on pavement. I hadn’t really meant to ask it—not like that anyway—but the words felt like they’d been waiting inside me. Since I’d found out from Candy, I felt betrayed by Austin for not telling me back then.

He didn’t look at me, eyes straight ahead. He exhaled slowly as though considering whether he should speak or just let the silence stretch on. When he finally answered, it was reluctantly. “Yeah.”

I forced myself to stay calm. “So, you knew he was putting himself in danger? All this time? And you didn’t tell me?”

Austin’s grip on the wheel tightened, but his eyes remained glued to the road. “Luke asked me not to tell you. I didn’t feel it was my place to tell you, Em. He was trying to handle it his way. He didn’t want you worrying. He didn’t want you worrying about him.”

“Worrying about him?” I spat, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. “I was already worrying about him. I was afraid every damn day something would happen to him. But I didn’t know he was out there, fighting in those... those underground rings, risking his life for money. For me.”

“The world isn’t clean, Em,” Austin replied. “Sometimes, people do things they don’t wanna talk about. And I get it... I know why he did it. He wanted you to have the best he could provide. He wanted to protect you.”

My eyes stung, and I quickly blinked back the moisture building behind the lids. “Did you think ‘protecting’ me meant keeping me in the dark about everything?”

“No. But sometimes ignorance is a damn mercy.”

We fell into an uncomfortable silence again for a few moments, the only sounds being the road beneath us and our heavy breaths. But I couldn’t let it go—not this time. Not when everything was coming to light, not when my brother’s life might have been in more danger than I ever could’ve imagined.

So much unsaid, so much buried beneath layers of everything we wouldn’t talk about. “You knew he was involved in all of this... and you just let him?”

Austin’s eyes flicked to mine, finally meeting my gaze. “I wasn’t his keeper. He made his choices. I didn’t agree with them, but Luke’s always been stubborn. Like you.”

“I’m not like that,” I muttered, even though I knew he was right. I was just as stubborn. Just as determined to protect the people I loved, even if it meant pushing them away.

“Yeah, you are,” he said, almost like he was trying to soften the truth in his words. “I get it. You think Luke should’ve been able to lean on you. But sometimes people have their own battles to fight. And we don’t wanna drag the ones we love into it.”

I kept my mouth shut for a moment, letting his words settle deep in my chest. He was right, wasn’t he? Both of us had been trying to fight our battles alone—Luke and me, and even Austin, trying to carry the load for both of us. “I wish I’d known," I murmured, "I would have convinced him that nothing mattered more to me than his safety. We would have gotten by somehow."

Austin glanced at me again, his expression easing—for an instant, just a crack in the wall he'd built around himself. "He didn’t want you to have to settle. He wanted you to be happy and have the future you wanted. That’s all I’ve ever wanted too.”

My gaze shifted back to the road, my mind circling again. “Why do you think I still care so much?” I whispered, mostly to myself but loud enough for him to hear. “After everything you’ve all done, everything the club takes... why does it still hurt when I see you, when I feel you close?”

“Cause you never stopped caring, Em. And neither did I.”

I sighed, my heart sinking. "Then why does it always feel like you're leaving me behind, even when you're right in front of me?"

Despite the closeness in the car between the two of us, the distance still felt immeasurable.

Finally, Austin’s hand reached out, gentle yet insistent on my arm. “Emmy, I’m sorry. For so many things. I should have done more. I should have tried harder to stop him. I should have been there for you when you needed me. I never meant to make you feel like you held second place in my life.”

His words, sincere and laden with regret, pressed into me. I remembered our earlier days, when our paths were intertwined so deeply that nothing else mattered. I remembered the laughter, the fights, the way we’d defied the world together. But those days felt like a lifetime ago. I had chosen a different path, one that demanded I channel my strength into saving others—and yet, the thought of losing Luke, of never seeing him again, tore at me.

“Do you remember,” I said quietly, “when I first started coming to the clubhouse? I was so young, Dad never let me come. But once he was gone, Luke let me tag along with him. Never in the bar, but I could go with him to the garage or the kitchen. I used to think I’d never be more than Luke’s little shadow. I was determined to prove I was my own person, that I didn’t need anyone.”

“I remember,” he replied. “You were fierce, unstoppable. And I always admired that about you, Emmy.”

My mind churned with conflicting emotions—pride, regret, fear, and a desperate longing that I’d tried so hard to bury. I wasn’t sure if I was angry with him for not being there, or with myself for still needing him.

Austin broke the silence again, his tone tentative. “I’m going to look into this, Emmy. I promise you that I’ll find out what happened to Luke. And if there’s any sign of him being in danger…” He let the rest of the sentence fade.

“Thank you,” I whispered, the words barely reaching my lips. “I just… I need to know, Austin. I need to understand why he got caught up in that life, why he risked everything and for what?”

He sighed, and I could see the conflict in his eyes—an old wound reopened. “Luke fought because he felt like he had no other choice. Sometimes, the world forces your hand. And I was too busy trying to keep the club together to see the cracks in his armor.”

I felt tears prick my eyes, not from anger, but from the raw truth in his words. “I was terrified, Austin,” I confessed, voice shaking. “Every time I heard he was on a mission, I felt like I was left here to watch the pieces of my life crumble. And you… you were always there, the only constant. But then again, you weren’t.”

His hand squeezed mine, and in that moment, I knew that despite everything, some parts of our past were inescapable. “I loved you then, Emmy. I still do. I always will.”

The admission hit me like a tidal wave. My heart, already battered by years of fighting and running, thudded loudly in the confined space of the car. I closed my eyes, letting his words wash over me. It wasn’t just love—it was a promise, a connection that time and distance couldn’t sever.

But it was painful too. The memories of lost chances, the nights I’d cried myself to sleep, the guilt that I’d chosen my future over my family. I could feel the conflicting storms within me—one part longing to embrace that old, familiar warmth, and another part determined never to be hurt again.

As we pulled up outside the compound, I hesitated, my hand hovering over the door handle. “Austin,” I said quietly, not wanting to break the fragile peace between us, “I...”

He turned toward me, his eyes full of concern. “I know. But I promise, Emmy, we’ll get through this. I’m not leaving you to face it alone. And then… we’ll talk.”

I replied with a single nod.

Back in Austin’s room, my hands trembled as I dabbed a clean cloth against the gash above his eye, the pressure of his wound matching the ache in my heart. He sat on the bed, silent and brooding, eyes fixed on me as if trying to memorize every line of my determined face. I swallowed hard, my fingers carefully applying delicate butterfly bandages

And then, as if drawn by a force beyond both our wills, his lips met mine. It began as a tentative touch—a soft, reverent press that slowly deepened into a kiss that was all-consuming. Every lingering moment, every desperate pull, spoke of a passion that had simmered beneath years of separation, of battles waged wordlessly.

In that kiss, I felt the echoes of all our past nights: the stolen moments in a dimly lit room, the promises whispered in the dark, and the quiet heartbreak of our partings. For a fleeting, exquisite moment, I allowed myself to forget the scars, to believe that perhaps, this time, we could heal together. I melted into him, my heart daring to hope even as my mind screamed warnings.

But when he pulled back, his eyes searching mine with raw vulnerability, the weight of reality crashed in. My eyes burned with conflicting emotion—desire, fear, anger, and a deep-seated pain that I thought I’d long since resolved. I knew, with a cold clarity, that Austin belonged to the club—his duty, his legacy—and that I was too often the ghost of his past.

Even so, as I stared at him, a part of me refused to let go. A part of me clung to the memory of our first love, the unspoken promise that maybe we could start over. Yet I also vowed never to allow myself to be broken again by the same forces that had once torn my world apart.

My mind churned with questions and regrets—about Luke, about what might have been, and about the painful truth that some loves are as volatile and dangerous as the lives we lead. But amid the tumult of emotion, one thing remained undeniable: even if I was haunted by the past, a spark still burned in my heart, one that Austin had ignited long ago.

“Do you want me to leave, Em?”

I shook my head, giving him the only answer I had.

“Get in bed. It’s late, we both need to sleep.”

I took my shoes off and lay down in his bed with my clothes on. He followed on the other side of the enormous king bed. Rolling over, he pulled me back against his chest, a position I used to love. This time was no different. I’d always felt as if I were surrounded by Austin and safe.

As the night deepened around us, I pressed my lips together, fighting back tears and the urge to pull him closer, knowing that every kiss, every touch, carried the risk of undoing all the barriers I had built. And yet, as I lay there with him, heart pounding, I couldn’t help but wonder if some risks were worth taking—even if they might break me all over again.