Page 6

Haven

The first two weeks of classes fly by with dizzying speed. Even though Cornerstone’s education is state-approved, I feel like I’m behind. I went through our entire curriculum, but I have more knowledge gaps than freckles on my face. Evolution, history, geography—all things I learned about, but not to the depth that my peers have. Especially evolution. Whenever it came up in class, my teachers always mocked it.

That doesn’t even touch on everything else I’m missing. The jokes that go over my head, the references to things and people that “everyone knows about,” the ability to use a computer—things like that. If it weren’t for Athelia and Colton, I’d be completely lost.

As I walk back to my dorm after my last class of the day, I try to not get too worked up about it. I escaped. I’m free. When it comes down to it, that’s the only thing that really matters to me. The rest will come with time.

My heart still aches whenever I think of home. I left behind everyone I love—my parents, my siblings, Ruth. Leaving hurt them all, I know, but I couldn’t stay. Maybe it’s foolish, but I have hopes of freeing them one day. Then we can all be together again.

But there’s nothing I can do about that today. Julie promised to visit Cornerstone occasionally so she can give me updates on how my siblings are doing, and it has to be enough for now. I can’t go back—not for a long, long time.

If I ever can.

Before tears can fill my eyes again, I pull out my phone and text Athelia.

Haven: Are we still getting ice cream?

Athelia: Yep! Sugar is an absolute need.

Haven: I’m heading back to the dorm from class. I’m two minutes away.

Athelia: Thank god. I’ll head your way. Today has been a DAY.

I smile. The way Athelia talks is funny sometimes. Or, I suppose, the way I talk is funny.

Growing up, I always knew there was a whole world outside of Cornerstone, but I rarely saw it. I was only allowed off our property to go grocery shopping or for doctor appointments that couldn’t be handled by Cornerstone’s medical staff.

It’s weird, realizing just how many people there are out here. Literal billions, according to Athelia. I don’t think I ever heard of numbers getting that high until I came to Pemberton.

What’s been lovely, though, is discovering how kind a lot of the people are. I was always taught that sin had ruined the rest of the world—that it was a dark, scary place full of people who only meant harm. But most of the people I’ve talked to have acted better than the people I grew up around.

Funny how that works.

“Hey. Hey! I’m talking to you.”

I stop when I notice a boy with brown hair waving at me. When I meet his gaze, he grins, and I realize it’s the boy Colton and I ran into on my first night here.

“There we go,” he says. “Thought you were ignoring me for a second. You free tonight?”

“Oh. Um, no, I’m hanging out with a friend.”

“What about tomorrow night?”

“I… um. I don’t know.”

“Can I get your number?” He pulls out his phone and shoves it at me. “Here, you can plug it in.”

I stare at his phone. “Why?”

With a shrug, he says, “You’re cute.”

I frown. Colton called me cute a few weeks ago, and I think I liked it then. But this feels different. Predatory, in a way.

“Oh. Um… n-no thank you.”

“No? Are you serious? C’mon, you know you want to.”

What? The way he’s acting reminds me too much of some of the boys back home. They thought they were the best thing to ever happen to the world, and it always made me so angry.

“Please leave me alone.”

He rolls his eyes playfully, but there’s something menacing about it. “A little texting won’t hurt you.”

I shake my head and back away. When he reaches for me, I don’t think, just react. I push his arm away, forgetting all the things I used to tell myself daily to stay safe.

You’re smaller than him.

Weaker. Easy to hurt.

Don’t make him mad.

So when he shoves me back and I feel myself falling, I’m not even surprised. I hit the cobblestone path hard. The pain is familiar, followed quickly by the instinctual urge to run or make myself as small as possible.

“Fine, stay single forever. Fucking freak,” the guy bites out before I can scramble away. He gives me a scathing look and then turns on his heel and stalks away.

I’m frozen on the ground as I watch him move down the path. My limbs tingle from the adrenaline rush, and my palms sting from trying to catch myself. I don’t think I sprained anything, though, so it could be worse.

But… it makes me wonder if I’m wrong. I’ve met quite a few boys who were nice, but then again, I thought this boy was nice when I first saw him. If it hadn’t been for Colton telling me otherwise—and him pushing me just now—my judgment of him would still be wrong.

Maybe I can’t trust my intuition.

I thought the men outside Cornerstone were different.

Less entitled.

Less violent.

Less cruel.

Am I wrong?

What if they’re all the same, no matter how they were raised?

Colton is nice to me, and I don’t think he’d ever hurt me, but there’s something off about him. I don’t know what it is, but I can feel it. There’s something about him that’s just… dark. For some reason, I’m drawn to it, but maybe I shouldn’t be.

Maybe he’s just as unsafe as all the men I’ve known before.

Maybe no men are safe.

How am I supposed to know?

“Haven?”

At first, it sounds like Colton’s voice is coming from nowhere, but then I turn my head to see him jogging down the path toward me. He’s coming from the opposite direction that asshole left in.

“Are you all right?” he asks as he gets closer.

I open my mouth to respond, but I can’t speak. Can’t do anything except catch my breath and try to calm my rapidly beating heart before it explodes.

Colton drops to his knees in front of me. “Did you fall? Christ, you’re shaking.” Brows furrowed with concern, Colton reaches for me.

“No,” I screech, scrambling back.

It’s an automatic reaction, one I can’t help. The therapist Julie set me up with told me about fight, flight, freeze, or fawn responses during our first session. When I was at Cornerstone, I either froze or fawned.

But that was when I had nowhere to run.

“Haven,” Colton says gently, “it’s me. I’m not going to hurt you.”

But I don’t understand. I just don’t. How am I supposed to tell the good men from the bad ones? How do I know Colton is telling the truth? Will he turn on me eventually, too?

Slowly, Colton kneels in front of me. His gaze dips to my knees, and his frown deepens. “You’re bleeding.”

I barely hear him through the sound of blood rushing through my ears. Everything in me is screaming to get up. To run, run, run until I’m locked up in my dorm where no one can touch me.

“Angel, did someone push you?”

Colton says the nickname so softly that tears spring to my eyes. I can feel my bottom lip start to tremble, and just before my vision starts to blur, I see anger flit across Colton’s face. It vanishes an instant later.

“What happened?” he asks, keeping his voice calm.

Isaiah did that sometimes. He’d seem perfectly fine when he came home from work until all of a sudden, he’d be yelling and throwing things at me. It was always something I said or did that set him off—that flipped some kind of switch inside him.

And Colton… Colton is too unpredictable.

Too unknown.

“Haven.” Colton’s voice is firmer now, although still not angry.

But he is angry.

I saw it. I saw it.

He’s just hiding it.

He’s trying to trick me.

“Haven, I need you to tell me who did this to you.”

“I—” My breath catches in my throat, and my chest constricts.

Can’t breathe, can’t breathe, can’t breathe.

The only sound I’m able to make is a small, helpless whimper. Colton gently touches my knee, and I scramble back.

Run.

Run, run, run!

“Haven—”

“Hey! Back the fuck off.”

I jump at the deep, commanding voice, and a new wave of panic consumes me at the sight of two boys coming up behind Colton. Their expressions are hard, their paces swift.

“No,” I whisper.

There’s no running now. Not with three of them.

They’re going to kill me.

“What the hell are you doing to her?” the larger of the two boys asks, his voice loud and deep. It makes me cringe in terror, and I manage to drag myself a few inches away.

“I’m trying to help her,” Colton snaps before turning back to me. He takes my wrists in his hands and flips them over so he can inspect my scraped palms. “What happened?”

He sounds impatient now. That seems to be an integral part of who he is. Demanding, quick to anger, and never, ever patient.

“Haven, come on. Just take a deep breath, and tell me what happened. No one’s gonna hurt you, all right? I won’t let them.”

All I can do is shake my head. It feels like something is squeezing my lungs, forcing me to take quick, shallow breaths. My vision blurs, but I’m still able to make out those two boys coming closer.

“N-no.” Pulling my hands from Colton, I scooch myself back on the path. I need to get away. Need to hide. “Please. Please don’t.”

I was wrong. I was so, so wrong.

“Haven?” someone calls. No, not someone. Athelia.

“Oh, thank fuck,” Colton mutters under his breath.

I hear her footsteps rapidly approaching from behind, and then she’s skidding to a stop beside me. Dropping to her knees, Athelia glances between me and Colton.

“What happened?”

“I found her like this,” Colton says. “She’s freaking out, and I can’t get her to stop.”

“She’s having a panic attack, you idiot.” Shoving Colton out of the way, Athelia pushes my hair out of my face. “Hey. Can you take my hand?”

Athelia isn’t like most of the women or men at Cornerstone. She’s not like Colton, either, or the boy who shoved me to the ground. She’s proven herself to be nothing but gentle.

Safe.

So I nod, reaching for her, and she meets me halfway. Her grip is firm and reassuring, and she places her free hand on my shoulder.

“That’s it.” Her thumb runs over the back of my hand. “Now can you try to take a deep breath?”

So calm. How is she so calm? It feels like the earth is about to crack open and swallow us whole.

“Haven, hey.” Athelia squeezes my shoulder. “Breathe nice and deep for me. Can you do that?”

I try to. I really do. But then someone moves—one of the boys, I think—and the panic starts all over again.

“Th-Th-Thelia,” I gasp out.

“I’m here. I’m right here.” Her hand smooths its way down my arm and then back up again. “You’re gonna be okay.”

“I don’t want him to hurt me again,” I whisper.

“Him? Him him?”

A sob breaks free as I nod. She’s the only one I’ve told about Isaiah. It’s safer to keep it all a secret, I know, but I couldn’t hold it all in.

“Haven, honey, he can’t. He’s not—”

“He can! He—he’s everywhere.”

“So you did hurt her,” the larger guy spits out as he glares at Colton.

“What? No! I’m her friend. I would never—”

“She’s not talking about any of you,” Athelia snaps. “Just shut up and give her some space.”

Colton said I was shaking earlier, but I couldn’t tell if I actually was or not. Now, it feels like an earthquake is going off in my body. I can’t stop it, and it feels like it’s getting worse and worse.

Maybe I’m going to explode.

Can that happen?

Am I going to die?

“He can’t find you,” Athelia says. “Julie made sure of that, remember? You’re safe here.”

All I can do is shake my head over and over again. It’s like I’m in a never-ending tunnel, destined to die without ever feeling the sun on my face again. I’m trapped.

“Hey.” Athelia leans in close so her forehead is touching mine. Her fingers are in my hair, stroking, and it calms me just enough that I can comprehend what she’s saying. “Can you walk? I think you’ll do better if we can get you back to our dorm.”

She’s right, but I can’t move. I’m frozen, stuck with my back against the wall while Isaiah yells and yells, first driving his fist into the wall, and then into me.

He’s going to kill me this time.

They all are.

He’s everywhere.

“Haven,” Athelia says gently. “Stay with me. Can you walk?”

I burst into a new wave of tears, barely managing to shake my head.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay.” She pulls me in close, smelling like summer and honeysuckles, like playing in the fields at Cornerstone when I was younger.

Back before my own life turned against me.

“Let me help,” Colton pleads. “I can get her back there.”

“Would that be all right with you?” Athelia asks me.

I try to look at Colton, but through my tears, all I can see is blond hair and an angry man.

“It’s a trick,” I whisper.

“It’s not.”

“It—it—”

It is.

“I’d never hurt you.” Colton creeps closer to me, and the concern in his voice sounds so real. “Look at me. Haven, please.”

I do, and his eyes. His eyes. Golden-brown in the middle before they turn green on the outside. They’re nothing like Isaiah’s—bright blue and always burning with a need to prove himself. Colton’s are gentle. Not kind, necessarily, but caring.

“It’s not a trick,” Athelia says soothingly. “He just wants to help you get back to the dorm. I’ll be right with you the entire time, okay? I won’t let him hurt you.”

“P-promise?”

“I promise.”

“Okay,” I whisper.

When Athelia moves out of the way, my entire body goes tense. Colton fills the spot she just emptied, his touch gentle.

A trick.

No, not him.

Please not him.

Please don’t be like Isaiah.

“I’m not gonna hurt you,” he whispers as he loops his arm underneath my legs and curls his other around my back. “I just want to help.”

“Colt,” I gasp when he lifts me up. I grab onto his shirt, half expecting him to crush me or slam me to the ground.

But he doesn’t. He starts moving toward the dorms, cradling me into his body like I’m something to be cherished.

“Colt— Colton.”

“You’re okay,” he murmurs. “I’m gonna keep you safe.”

“Why the hell are you two following?” Athelia snaps.

Peeking over Colton’s shoulder, I see the smaller guy shrug. “Just making sure she actually gets back okay. I think that’s a pretty normal thing to do, under the circumstances.”

“Fine,” Athelia grumbles. “But you’re not fucking touching her.”

The buffer guy holds up his hands. “Never said we were going to.”

For the entire walk back, I cling to Colton. I don’t know if it’s because I need him or if it’s because I’m terrified of him. Can it be both?

A few people try to stop us and ask if I’m okay, but Colton tells them all off. Everyone snaps their mouths shut and keeps moving, and I realize it’s exactly what people have said about him since I got here. His father holds a lot of power in this town.

No one questions him.

No one can.

Once we get to our dorm, Athelia unlocks the door, and Colton carries me to my bed. He sets me down so I’m sitting on the edge, and then he kneels between my legs. Just as I’m about to question why, I feel him untying my shoes.

“I can do that,” Athelia says. “You need to get out.”

Colton sets my right shoe on the ground and moves to my left. “I’m not leaving her.”

“You don’t have a fucking choice. Get out.”

“No.”

I don’t know what to think of that. Colton is speaking to Athelia the same way he spoke to the people we passed on our way here. That doesn’t feel right.

What if he makes her leave?

No, no, no.

When Colton is done with my other shoe, I crawl onto the bed and drag myself as far away from him as possible. I place my pillow between us, needing some kind of cushion between us for when he snaps.

He always snaps.

“Colton. I know you care about her, and that’s why you need to leave. You being here is hurting her.”

“But—”

“Go. You’re only going to get her more worked up.”

Colton’s eyes find mine, and where I expect to see fury, I see… helplessness. He steps toward me, but Athelia places a hand on his chest.

“I’ll text you updates from her phone, but you have to go.”

His gaze is still locked with mine. When he nods, I can tell he’s fighting himself, forcing himself to listen to her.

Forcing himself to abandon me.

I want to tell him I’m sorry, but I can’t. All I can do is watch through my tears as he slowly backs away.

“I’ll be in the hallway,” he says softly.

Athelia shakes her head. “You don’t have to—”

“Don’t tell me what to do. I’ll be right outside the door. If she needs anything, you tell me. All right?”

“Fine. Now go.”

He does, finally, and Athelia locks the door behind him. As soon as she does, the tension in my chest dissolves. In here, Isaiah can’t reach me—in whatever form he chooses to appear in.

“Can I come up there with you?” Athelia asks gently, a box of tissues in her hand.

I nod. I can trust her.

She kicks off her shoes and crawls onto the mattress. Once I’m done blowing my nose and wiping at my tears, I scooch down the bed and let her wrap her arms around me.

“You’re safe,” she reminds me.

But I shake my head. My husband may not know where I am, but I see him everywhere now.

“How do you know which men you can trust?” I whisper. “How do you know who won’t hurt you?”

The question must strike her deep. Pain fills her eyes, followed by tears. “I… I don’t know. And I’m so sorry, Haven. I’m so sorry.”

. . .

I’m not sure how long it takes for me to calm down. Every time I think I’ve stopped crying, a new wave of sobs hits me out of nowhere. Athelia patiently soothes me through it all, telling me that Isaiah can’t get to me here. At some point, I begin to believe her.

Athelia and I stay wrapped up in bed until our stomachs are growling. Colton brings us food, and despite his best efforts to convince Athelia to let him inside, she refuses.

We sit up in bed and eat under the covers. Mildred—her stuffed cat—sits in between us. At some point in the last hour, I stopped crying, and my hands are only a little shaky now. Athelia helped reroute my focus to other things—mainly the new things I’ve experienced since coming here.

Athelia’s phone goes off, and she swears before answering it. “Professor Kammes, I’m so sorry. I—” With a grimace, she pauses. Then, “I lost track of time. My friend needed—” She winces. “No, sir. I’m sorry. Yes, I’ll be right there.”

I frown. Professor Kammes is Athelia’s professor and student advisor. They meet up way more often than I do with mine, and Athelia always seems oddly reluctant to go.

Ending the call, Athelia turns to me with an apologetic look on her face. “I have to go. I’m so sorry, Haven. Will you be okay alone?”

The thought terrifies me, and it must be evident on my face because Athelia glances at the door.

“Will you be okay if Colton comes in?”

My thoughts aren’t clouded with panic and fear anymore, so I say, “I think so.”

“You’re sure?”

I nod.

“All right. I’ll remind him that he needs to get the fuck out if you tell him to.” She moves to the door. “See you later, okay?”

“Athelia?”

She turns. “Yes?”

“Does he hurt you? Your advisor?”

The question hits her like a physical blow, making her whole body jerk on impact. She hesitates, blinking rapidly, before giving me a weak smile. “No. No, he… he doesn’t.”

I want to believe her, but as she reaches for the doorknob, her hand trembles. Lying only protects them, I want to say, because that’s what my therapist told me about Cornerstone. But maybe that’s not true.

Lying about Isaiah is what kept me safe. He would’ve been so much worse if I’d gone to my dad or Beckham, and it would’ve been for nothing, anyway. All they would’ve told me was that my husband had a deep understanding of God’s will. That if he was hitting me, it was because God needed him to discipline me.

Maybe it’s the same with Athelia. If she doesn’t think she can tell the truth, then I won’t try to force it out of her. Maybe someday she’ll be ready to open up.

Athelia has a brief, quiet conversation with Colton in the hallway, and then his body fills the doorframe. He hesitantly steps inside, and before he closes the door, I see the two boys from earlier outside.

“Why are they still here?” I ask.

Colton shrugs. “Said it looked like I needed a friend. They seem halfway decent.” He approaches cautiously, slowly. “How are you feeling?”

“A little better, I think.”

“Good. Can I—” He pauses when he notices my half-eaten sandwich on my nightstand. “You should finish that.”

“Probably,” I mutter tiredly.

“Definitely,” he says, managing a gentle firmness that my father and Isaiah never could. “Your emotions are directly affected by what you put into your body. If you’re not giving it enough fuel, it’ll be harder for you to clear your mind.”

“Oh.”

“It’s why I’m so careful about what I eat.” He grins. “Well, most of the time, anyway.”

“That… makes sense. My stomach just doesn’t feel that great.”

“Probably because you’re hungry.” As Colton comes closer, he watches me, trying to gauge my reaction. When he’s right next to my bed, he picks up the sandwich. “Sit up.”

Slowly, I do. I really, really don’t want to eat anything, but there’s a determination in Colton’s eyes that makes me think I don’t have much of a choice in the matter.

“Eat your sandwich,” he tells me, holding it out.

“I don’t—”

“Eat it.”

I jump at the harshness in his tone, panic spiraling through me again. He looks so irritated, and I can’t help but wish that Athelia was still here to tell him off.

“God, fuck, I’m sorry.” Rubbing at his face, sighs. “I didn’t mean to snap. I just want you to feel better, all right?”

I nod.

He’s not Isaiah.

Not Isaiah.

Not going to hurt you.

“Now, take a bite.”

I expect Colton to hand me the sandwich, but instead he holds it up to my mouth. Hesitantly, I take a bite, looking up at him with confusion.

“Good.” He pets my hair, watching me chew and swallow. “Again.”

I find myself obeying without a thought, still watching him. Is this normal? I’ve only ever seen adults feed babies. Or our elders, or someone who’s sick. Never someone who could do it themself.

After my second bite, I take the sandwich into my own hands. Something about him feeding me feels too intimate, too dangerous.

He’s being patient with me.

He’s never patient.

It’s a trick. A trap.

But Isaiah was never this gentle with me. Isaiah never would’ve carried me to our bed while I was sobbing and shaking and questioning everything.

“I don’t know if I can trust you,” I blurt.

“That’s okay.” He shrugs, his hands in his pockets. “Trust is usually built pretty slowly.”

“How do you know who you can trust?”

A deep sadness passes across his face before he lowers himself onto the edge of my bed. He still keeps some distance between us, but I think I’m okay now. I’m not as scared as I was earlier.

“I don’t know if there’s a simple answer,” he says quietly. “Usually, I’d say getting to know someone over a long period of time is the best way, but that doesn’t always work. It’s said that people never really change—that they fundamentally stay the same. But in my experience, that’s not true.”

“What do you mean?”

“Someone can be good. Kind, caring, selfless. But… they can lose all that. They can turn into someone awful—someone cruel and greedy who doesn’t care about the people he’s supposed to take care of.”

“Did that happen to someone you know?” I ask softly.

Jaw clenched, Colton nods.

“I’m sorry.” My hand covers his, making him look up at me in surprise.

“It’s all right. One day, I’ll fix it. But… that’s not the point of this conversation. People can change the other way, too. A bad person into a good person. Isn’t that in the Bible or some shit? Well, assuming your cult is a Bible cult?”

I smile. “It is, but it’s not mine.”

“Right. Sorry, that was a stupid thing to say.”

“It’s okay. You’re right. I guess I’m not sure if that’s really true or not. According to the cult’s teachings, a person could only turn good and righteous by the grace of God.”

“And I’m assuming being good didn’t necessarily mean being safe?” He casts me a look that contains more pity than I’m comfortable with, but it’s a soft pity. A caring pity.

“Yeah. It’s one of the many things that made me doubt the truth I was always taught. How could someone be good if they were violent? How could someone be good if they abused God’s power? And now… well, now I don’t even know if I believe in God, so I don’t even know what good means anymore.”

“Let’s just start with trustworthy,” Colton says.

“There’s really no way to know?” I ask helplessly.

“No. You just have to trust your gut and hope you’re not wrong. Now finish your sandwich, angel. You’ve only got a bite or two left.”

Begrudgingly, I do, but I’m not telling him that my stomach feels better. It’d only go to his head.

“That’s better,” he says with a proud smile. “You’ve gotta take care of yourself, Haven.”

“I do,” I mumble.

With a chuckle, Colton climbs farther onto the bed. “If that were the case, I wouldn’t have to force you to eat.”

“That—I—”

All words leave my mind when Colton pulls me into him. With his back against the wall, he all but lifts me into his lap. My head rests naturally on his shoulder, and my body relaxes without my permission. It’s like it knows it’s safe with him even though my mind doesn’t.

I wish I knew for sure. I want to be safe with Colton.

While one of his hands runs up and down my legs, my eyes flutter shut. I didn’t realize how exhausted I was until this very moment. Even while Athelia was here, there was a part of me that was still on high alert. Why it’s settled down with Colton when he’s what set it off earlier is confusing to me, but he’s so firm. So warm. Even as my mind whirs with questions, I find myself melting into him.

My fingers curl into his shirt. “Colt?”

“Hmm?”

“Can I trust you?”

It’s a silly thing to ask. He didn’t tell me I could trust him the night we met, and he’s not going to tell me now. But I need some type of assurance—some sign that I’m not making a mistake by getting invested in the caring yet impatient boy with darkness in his heart.

“I’m a pretty shitty person,” he confesses, “but I always take care of my friends. Always.”

“And you don’t hurt them?” I whisper.

“Never.”

“And you’re not pretending?”

“Pretending? Like… lying? God, Haven, no.”

“You—” I squeeze my eyes shut as I fight back a sob. “You promise?”

“I promise,” he murmurs, pulling me closer into him. “I give my loyalty to the people who give me theirs. And you… you’ve had mine since the day I met you, angel.”

“Loyalty,” I mumble, accidentally letting a soft moan slip free when he threads his fingers through my hair.

“That’s right. As long as you stay loyal to me, then I’ll stay loyal to you. And that means you’ve got everything I can give you. I’ll always be here for you. Sound good?”

There are too many thoughts swirling in my head and mixing together. I’m too tired to make sense of them, but a feeling of safety bubbles to the surface. His terms are simple. As long as I stay within them, I have him as a friend. And as long as he stays within them, he has me as a friend.

So I nod, whispering, “Yeah.”

“Then I’ve got you,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to the top of my head.

“And I’ve got you?”

I can hear the smile in his voice as he says, “That’s right.”

And it makes me smile, too.

“Now close your eyes,” he tells me softly. “You were almost asleep.”

“How could you tell?” I mumble.

“You were twitching,” he says with an amused breath. “Now let yourself relax, angel. I’ll keep you safe until you wake up.”

There’s something calming about the cedarwood and lemon scent that seems to follow him everywhere. I let myself fall into it, and my eyes fall closed automatically.

“Good girl,” he whispers, and I realize I must’ve relaxed even more.

Colton keeps playing with my hair, and I slowly get closer to drifting off. For the moment, I let my worries about trust fall away. He’s right—I was almost asleep before I started talking again. That panic attack really wore me out.

For a few minutes, Colton is silent. He must think I’m fully passed out because he whispers, “I wish you would tell me what happened to you. Who hurt you enough to make you this scared.”

When he pauses, my tired mind thinks he’s done. Maybe I’ll tell him one day—whenever I’m sure I can trust him. Maybe soon.

Colton’s lips press against my forehead, and then he’s whispering again. Or maybe my mind is making it all up because the words filtering through my brain can’t be real.

“I’d kill them for you. Everyone who’s ever dared to lay a hand on you. I… I think I’d do anything for you, Haven.”