Page 192 of Axis of Fire

But I wasn’t about to admit that so easily.

“I’m still leaning more toward Gwendolyn’s opinion,” I muttered.

“Actually,” Gwen cut in immediately, “I agree that Airis is more than trustworthy.”

My brows shot up in surprise.

“Since when?”

“Didn’t you notice how far out of his comfort zone he stepped during Dwayne’s ridiculous little games?”

“Hey, those games are fun,” Dwayne protested with a frown.

“For middle schoolers,” Gwen shot back before turning back to me.

“I know trusting someone feels like giving away a piece of yourself,” she said softly, “but this is the kind of risk worth taking.”

I bit the inside of my cheek.

“And yeah,” Gwen continued, her voice quieter now, “I agree with Dwayne. I really, really don’t want to let you go either.”

Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, and suddenly I felt my own emotions clawing their way to the surface.

But I held them back.

My tears wouldn’t make saying goodbye any easier.

Maybe if they didn’t see them, letting me go would hurt a little less.

The thought alone stole the air from my lungs.

I swallowed hard.

“But we also know there’s probably no better place for you,” Mike said gently.

His large hand came to rest on Gwen’s shoulder while his warm gaze remained fixed on mine.

“No matter what happens,” he said, “we’ve always been family.”

A small smile touched his lips.

“And we always will be.”

I nodded silently, feeling the warmth of their presence beside me and the rare stillness of Manchester surrounding us.

Rare.

But unforgettable.

As if the city itself was saying goodbye.

******

I stepped into the room as quietly as possible.

The moment I noticed Airis had already fallen asleep, I let out a quiet sigh of relief.

After changing into my pajamas, I slipped beneath the blanket, a strange, unpleasant feeling twisting deep inside my chest.