Page 86 of Safe Place

Grant smacks his arm. “Shut up. She’s totally about to cry again.”

I shoot them a glare over my shoulder, but I’m smiling now. Then I turn back to Micah.

He clears his throat, suddenly looking anywhere but at me. “I, uh, just so you know, you don’t have to worry about Carter Delaney anymore.”

“What? What does that mean?” I ask, panicked. “Oh my God—Micah. Is he…alive?”

Grant chokes on his drink, laughing. “Jesus. I don’t even know who Carter Delaney is, but Soph—Micah’s a golden boy, not a mafia prince.”

Micah finally looks at me, lips twitching into a small smile. “He’s alive. Just bruised. And soon, no longer a student at Westcliffe”

Wyatt lifts an eyebrow. “Should I be giving my dad a heads-up or…?”

“What the hell do you guys think I did?” Micah says, exasperated. “Okay, yes, I beat the shit out of him. But I also did my research. Turns out he’s got a history—multiple girls, multiple cover-ups. I just brought the receipts. Reported him and demanded his expulsion. Your documentation made it airtight, by the way. That's all.”

“That’s all?” Wyatt says, shocked. “Jesus. Remind me never to piss off my favorite morally righteous, secretly terrifying friend.”

“Fuck off,” Micah mutters, but there’s pride in his voice.

My voice softens. “So I guess I wasn’t the first.”

Micah’s jaw tightens. “No. You weren’t.”

Grant suddenly looks like he’s about to flip the table, his expression going flat. “Wait—Did this guy touch you, Sophie?”

“No—well—It could've been a lot worse.” I answer, not wanting to relive any details. I then glance at Micah. “I already filed the complaint, though.”

“I filed more, for the other victims and cover-ups.” Micah reaches for my hand again. “I took care of it, baby. He won’t lay a finger on you again.”

Grant crosses his arms. “Thanks, honey. That’s sweet, but we should probably make sure he doesn’t bother Sophie again.”

Micah groans and shoves him lightly. “Shut up.”

I squeeze his hand back and smile. I’m grateful, and I'm relieved just knowing Carter Delaney will never be on campus again.

I've never had someone help me, with no conditions or debt. Just Micah, quietly making sure I'm okay. I’m just letting myself accept it—be grateful. Be happy. Maybe for the first time in my life.

TWENTY-FOUR

That was just the beginning

SOPHIE

The morning light is soft and golden as it filters through the gauzy curtains. I blink awake to the sound of waves in the distance and the warmth of Micah beside me. The sheets are cool where I’m not curled against him, but he’s already propped on one elbow, watching me like I’m something precious.

He convinced me to skip my classes today so we could sneak away for a last minute birthday trip. Probably a terrible idea—especially since I have Constitutional Law, my hardest class—but honestly, I didn’t need that much convincing. The chance to escape with Micah, even just for a day, was too tempting to pass up.

“Good morning, birthday girl,” he murmurs, his voice rough from sleep.

I smile, still blinking against the light. “Hi.”

He leans in and presses a soft kiss to my temple, then my cheek, then lower—trailing heat down the side of my neck. “I ordered breakfast,” he says. “But I need something sweet first.”

I let out a sleepy laugh, fingers curling against his chest. “There's some candy in my bag, I think.”

He pulls back just enough to look me in the eyes. “Not that kind of sweet.”

Before I can respond, he's pulling the sheets down, slowly and deliberately. He lifts my sleep shirt, pressing his mouth to my stomach, my hip, the inside of my knee—each kiss unhurried, like he has all the time in the world. His hands are warm and steady on my skin, and every place his lips land feels like it catches fire.