Lucian sits beside me, offering silent comfort. Running his hand up and down my back. But I can’t bring myself to open my eyes, the weight in my chest is heavy from grief. The thought of Tex being gone, forever, is just too much. Every breath hurts. So, I sleep.
The days bleed together until I can’t tell where one ends and the next begins. I don’t know what finally pulls me out of sleep that afternoon—the low murmur of voices in the suite, maybe, or the sound of the door opening. I just want to escape, be alone. I wish they’d leave me in peace.
“Where is she?”
That voice cuts straight through the fog. I push myself up, blinking hard—and there she is.Maeve.Standing by the door with her coat half off, scanning the room until her gaze locks on me.
I’m on my feet before I even think about it. Crossing the space in three steps, throwing my arms around her, and burying my face in her shoulder. Fresh tears sting hot against my skin. I cling to her.
She wraps me up instantly, one hand cradling the back of my head, theother rubbing slow, reassuring circles between my shoulder blades. “It’s okay,” she murmurs. “You really thought you could disappear on me and I wouldn’t come find you? Not a fucking chance.”
I choke on a laugh.
There’s movement in my periphery—the couch just a few feet from the bed, Jace, Luca, and Noah all sitting there, the TV playing low. None of them says a word. They watch for a second, then turn their attention back to the screen, giving us the moment. I pull back enough to look at Maeve, my voice breaking. “How—Are you really here?”
Her smile is soft, but her eyes are fierce. “Lucian called me. Told me everything. And then he booked me a flight.”
The weight in my chest shifts, just slightly. “He told you? I’m not dreaming?”
She nods. “He said you needed me.”
Something in me crumbles at that, and I hug her all over again, tighter this time. I don’t care that my face is a mess or that my hands are shaking. For the first time in days, I feel like I can breathe—even if it’s ragged.
Maeve doesn’t let go, even when my grip loosens a little. She just eases me back toward the bed, one arm still hooked around my shoulders.
“Come on,” she murmurs, kicking her bag toward the wall. “Let’s sit before you fall over.”
The mattress dips under our combined weight, and before I can even think about it, she’s kicked off her boots and pulled herself up to sit cross-legged beside me. Her eyes scan over me, cataloging every change.
“You look like hell,” she says quietly, but there’s no judgment in it.
A watery laugh slips out before I can stop it. “I feel like hell.”
“I’m here to drag you out. The devil doesn’t stand a chance against me.” We both laugh at that, because she’s right. Nothing and nobody can stand a chance against Maeve when she sets her mind to something.
Across the room, the guys are still on the couch. They’re quiet, the background noise of the TV filling the silence just enough to make it comfortable.
Maeve shifts, tucking her legs under the blanket with me. “So…what’s the plan? You gonna tell me your version of everything, or do I have to bribe it out of you? Ididbring your favorite snack from back home. Those cookies and cream donuts from Miss Daisy’s bakery you always ate like a feral raccoon.” I smile, the gesture’s almost too much. I remember the rare times she’d smuggle them in her lunch box and we’d stuff our faces before break was over. One of the few luxuries I ever got under Daniel’s constant control.
“You didn’t.”
“I absolutely fucking did.” She goes to move and grab, what I’m sure, areverycrushed donuts from her bag when I grab her arm.
I shake my head, a lump forming in my throat. “Not yet. I-I can’t…”
The words get stuck in my throat.
“That’s fine.” She pulls the blanket tighter around us. “I’m not going anywhere and neither are the donuts. But they might get stale if you wait too long.”
My chest doesn’t feel quite so tight. I let myself lean into her, my head finding the familiar curve of her shoulder. I don’t know how long we sit like that, the muted sound of the TV and the low murmur of the guys’ occasional comments blending into the mix.
I’m not healed, I’m not even sure what that would look like right now. ButMaeve is here. Lucian knew what I needed. And somehow, that makes the air in my lungs feel just a little less heavy.
I joltawake with a sharp gasp, lungs burning. My hands clutch at the blanket, nails digging into the fabric as my eyes dart around, looking for… What am I looking for?
The shadows in the corners of the room seem too deep, my skin clammy under the sheen of sweat. My heart pounds in my ears, drowning out everything else until I feel the weight of a hand on my back.
I jump.
