Simply to hold him upright. To embrace him with a whispered promise:You’re not alone. A gentle caress at his wrist, a curve around his shoulders. An embrace they’ve wanted to give him all along.
Levi freezes, his breath catching sharply. For a painful second, his whole body tenses, like he wants to resist them. To push away their comfort out of anger or wounded pride. But reluctantly, the fight goes out of him. His shoulders lower just a fraction, his fingers tremble softly, and with a look that pierces me deeply, he allowsthemto hold him.
From the corner of my eye, I see Zane’s mouth part in stunned disbelief, and Porter stands frozen, his face openly astonished. If I had any doubts about the meaning of this moment…about the weight of my shadows choosing Levi…my brothers’ expressions erase them completely.
My shadows have always been mine alone. My darkness, my protection, my loneliness personified.
But in this moment, they choose Levi.
And I understand, with gut-wrenching clarity, that it’s because they love him, too.
Tears sting my eyes as I watch them shift tenderly around him. Loving him openly and honestly, in ways I’ve struggled to express myself. They cradle him, offering the comfort I want to give but somehow can’t.
This stunning revelation breaks me wide open.
They were never just shadows.
They were my heart. And in choosing Levi, they’ve given it to him.
Levi draws a shaky breath. “What do you want, Hayden?” Tears well in his eyes but don’t spill over.
But it’s Lorraine who responds, speaking on my behalf. “To reclaim what he lost, dear. What they all have.”
“Don’t answer for me,” I snap, but Levi is already lookingstraight through me. Raw hurt flashes behind his eyes, and it ignites something fierce and protective inside me.
Zane’s voice, matter-of-fact, cuts in before I can answer. “We’ve been led to believe that we could undo the Act. That we could go home.”
Levi’s head snaps toward me; the hurt flashing in his eyes causes my heart to sink. “To be a god again? That’s what this has all been about? A way to leave?”
“No…” I drag in a breath, shaking my head, the words tumbling out before I can stop them. “I don’t want to,” I whisper, desperate to convince him…and myself. “I swear to you, not anymore. Not since you.”
But I did. Idid. Even though none of it matters now. Not the way it used to. Not when I’ve found something I don’t want to lose. Zane clears his throat and Porter crosses his arms. Levi stares at me for a long, excruciating moment.
Maybe that’s why he exhales softly, something almost like acceptance passing over his handsome face. “I can’t do this right now,” Levi whispers, each word landing like a fatal blow.
He’s already backing away, each step a painful, deliberate retreat. Putting distance, real, tangible distance, between us.
When Levi moves, my shadows hesitate. He notices, jaw clenching as he swallows hard, and then gently but firmly shakes his head, waving them away with heartbreaking finality.
My shadows drift back in reluctant devastation, mirroring the grief that runs through me.
At losing him. Letting him down.
Loving him and not knowing how to hold on.
Before he leaves, Levi’s grip tightens on the folder, his voice quieter, steadier. Resigned.
“You have a lot to figure out, Hayden.” His exhale sounds like breaking. “And none of it seems to include me.”
I open my mouth, but nothing comes out.
He shakes his head, his eyes dropping to the folder in his hands. “I have to fix this. I’ve worked too hard, for far too long, on this to just…give up. To allowthis”—he looks around at the mess of my making—“to get in the way of everything I’ve been trying to build. I’m sorry, Hayden…but I don’t have time to wait for you to decide which life you want to live.”
Please don’t do this, I want to scream. But I stand before him, frozen.
“For you to figure out if you even want me.”
Then he turns and walks away.
