Page 112 of Fractured Future

“I am not traumatised.”

“Do you repeat that to yourself in the mirror every morning?” Warner blows his steaming hot chocolate. “You’re having night terrors and run daily marathons.”

“Stalk much?”

“Beyond being your new team leader, I’m your friend. I have a right to be concerned. And frankly, struggling to process what you endured is nothing to be ashamed of.”

Hands wrapped around the warm ceramic, I let the rich, chocolatey nectar slip down my throat. The sense of comfort is immediate and heady.

“I’m not ashamed,” I admit in a hushed voice.

“Then what’s going on? Help me to understand.”

Staring into the cup, a rush of nerves makes my scalp prickle. “I just… I don’t want to let that pain in. I can’t. If I do, I don’t know how I’ll come out the other side.”

Placing his drink on the counter, Warner moves closer to me. His bare torso presses against my crossed legs, and when his hand clasps my knee, immediate warmth spreads through me.

“Letting the hurt in is how we move on from the past,” he whispers without an ounce of judgement. “You need to feel it to heal it.”

“I don’t want to feel it.”

“And that’s understandable. But youwillfeel it. One way or another, those demons will claw their way out and wreak havoc on your life.”

His soft fingers circle my skin, tattooing a reassuring pattern that sinks deep into my muscles and nerves. Even when I was a kid, scared of the sight of my mother wasting away, he could always comfort me.

“You want me to go through that willingly?” I squeeze my eyes closed.

“Better to do it on your terms, Em.”

When I reopen my eyes, Warner’s carved chest and patient eyes fill my vision. I can’t look away from him or dodge his gentle words. The weight of his hand on my knee provides a feverish pressure.

“I’ve already agreed to do the medical evaluations. What more do you want from me?”

“I want you to know that it’s okay to open up,” he replies. “That you can lean on me. On the others. On the family we’re inviting you to be a part of.”

A bottomless ocean, still beneath vast swathes of cerulean sky, burns into me. His undivided attention ensures I feel every last promise tangled in his words.

“I’m not good at talking,” I reveal.

“That’s okay. To be honest, we can all be shit at it. The point is that we hold each other accountable. We look out for one another and offer support.”

“So this is a two-way thing?”

“Sure.” Warner nods. “You’re not a burden. Come to us, and we will come to you. We’ll figure out anything that comes our way together.”

“I’m not weighing in on your girl trouble or shit like that.” I wink at him to lighten the mood. “You’re coming to the wrong person if you want relationship advice.”

His chuckle pierces the intensity. “Noted.”

“Glad we cleared that up.”

“For the record, none of us are seeing anyone. So no relationship drama.”

“Thank God. I’m not that kinda girl.”

His handsome smile growing, Warner lifts his hand from my knee to lightly touch my sleep-rumpled hair.

“You never have been.”