“No.”
The word came out rougher than intended.
Her brows pulled together slightly.
“Hersh—”
Everything inside me stilled.
Not Blaze.
Hersh.
Like no time had passed at all.
Trigger glanced toward me briefly at the sound but wisely kept his mouth shut.
Felicity looked like she regretted saying my name immediately.
Too late.
“You’re exhausted,” I said carefully. “You don’t need to be alone right now.”
Something vulnerable flickered across her face so fast it almost hurt to see.
Because for one second?
She looked like the girl who used to trust me with everything.
Then the walls came back up.
“I’ve been alone a long time,” she said quietly.
Jesus.
The words hit like a punch.
Not dramatic.
Not emotional.
Just true.
And somehow that was worse.
Trigger moved closer to me as Michael started quietly questioning Felicity again about the house.
Low enough only I could hear, Trigger said:
“That her?”
I kept my eyes on Felicity.
“Yeah.”
A long pause.
Then quietly:
