They’re going to use this. Elody’s grandparents won’t see a father protecting his family. Instead, they’ll see an unstable environment, poor judgment, and a violent household.
If he loses her because of me…
My lungs constrict until breathing becomes impossible.
I glance down the hallway again and listen for his return. A few minutes later, there’s the click of a door. Not wanting him to see the pictures or ugly comments, I flip my phone face down.
The silence stretches, and my brain does what it’s always done when I’m scared.
It looks for an exit.
Maybe… maybe I should leave.
If I walk away now, maybe the mess goes with me. If I disappear, Elody never has to worry about Collin again. The videos stop being about her stepmother. Laiken can tell her grandparents and the courts that I was the problem.
He appears in the doorway before I can continue my mental spiral.
Laiken looks exhausted. Composed but worn around the edges in a way he doesn’t try to hide. There’s a tension in his shoulders, a tightness in his jaw that tells me how much effort it’s costing him to stay steady.
He studies me carefully. “Are you okay?”
The fact he’s asking about me after this ordeal only makes me feel worse.
Tears burn my eyes. “I’m so sorry. I should’ve told you about the texts and calls. I thought Collin would go away if I ignored him long enough. I didn’t think he’d—” My voice breaks as I lift my hands helplessly. “I didn’t think it would escalate to this point.”
He crosses the room in three swift strides before pulling me into his arms.
“No,” he says calmly.
“No?” I whisper in confusion.
“You’re not going to do that.”
“Do what?”
“Take responsibility for someone else’s actions,” he says.
A tear slips free. “I should’ve told you.”
“You were scared.”
I nod because it’s the truth. “I never wanted to bring any of this into your or Elody’s life.”
He pulls back enough to meet my gaze. “You don’t protect me by suffering in silence. If he contacts you again, you tell me. Not because you’re weak, but because you’re not alone anymore.”
The words sink into a place within me no one has ever touched.
“What’s going to happen now?” I ask, fear breaking through. “With the team and the league? What if Collin presses charges?”
He’s quiet for a moment before admitting, “I don’t know.”
His honesty steadies me far more than any empty reassurances could.
“Her grandparents are going to use this,” I whisper.
“You’re right. They’re certainly going to try.” He pulls me against him. “But here’s what I know: Elody isn’t safer without you. She’s safer because of you.”
That feels impossible to believe.
