But something between us had cracked—
quietly, cleanly—
and I didn’t know if either of us would ever put it back the way it was.
Chapter 27
Kieran
Someone was knocking on my door.
I dragged myself out of bed grumbling, shoving on a pair of sweats, not bothering with a shirt. I hadn’t slept all night. Every time I closed my eyes, all I saw was Seph’s face when she pushed my help away.
I have to get through to her.
Knock, knock, knock.
“Ash, did you forget your damn key again?” I muttered as I unbolted the lock. “For fucks sake—”
I stopped dead.
“Seph?”
She stood in the doorway—baggy sweatshirt hanging off one shoulder, long white hair loose around her face, gloved hands twisting together in nervous knots.
She looked small.
And breakable.
And nothing like the girl who’d pushed me away yesterday.
“Um,” she said, then winced. “Hi, Kier… K.”
The correction hit like a nail through my ribs.
“Hi,” I managed. “Do you—need something?”
She glanced past me into the room, eyes scanning corners like she was checking for danger. Or maybe just checking for him.
“Ash isn’t here?” she asked quietly.
“No. He gets dosed in the mornings,” I said, leaning against the doorframe. “Helps him not lose it so much in the afternoons.”
“Oh.” Her brows pinched. “They… dose him?”
“Yeah. He can be a bit… much.”
For a moment she didn’t say anything. Her gaze flicked upward, meeting mine.
And then she looked away.
“Right,” she murmured. “Okay.”
I felt the shift—the way she folded in on herself, the way she braced like she expected me to demand something from her.
“Seph,” I said gently. “What’s wrong?”
She swallowed. Hard.
