Unavoidable.
Then he says it.
The thing he’s been swallowing.
“Even where there is no attack, Jax, you do a fine job of turning it into one all on your own.”
A pause.
That hits deep.
She sits up sharply now, anger rising fast. Because he is seeing too much.
He’s seen it from the first day he met her—but now he’s finally saying it aloud.
“And you can’t outrun pain with jokes, Ronyn. At some point, you’ll have to feel something deeper than humor.”
He huffs a humorless laugh. “Hypocritical to pontificate on feelings when you just numbed yourself out and ignored my existence while you took from me, Jax.”
A long, loaded pause fills the space.
Then Ronyn says the most dangerous thing yet.
Soft.
Steady.
Certain.
“You didn’t want me with you tonight. You wanted the comfort of not being alone without the risk of letting someone in.”
Her throat moves with a hard swallow.
Still, she says nothing.
She doesn’t deny it.
Doesn’t confirm it.
Just stares at him.
Breathing shallow.
Chest tight.
Cornered.
“You can’t keep everyone at arm’s length and call it strength.”
Jax pulls the blankets across her chest, wrapping herself up like she can shield herself from the truth.
“Itisstrength,” she breathes, her words barely audible. “I exist without needing anyone or anything. It requires strength every fucking heartbeat to be alone in this fucked up world. No one gets to destroy what they can’t reach.”
He shakes his head slowly.
Not cruel.
Not mocking.
