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“Do you want to stay in there?” I asked.
“I…” She trailed off. “I don’t know. I got in and now I don’t know how to get out.”
“Do you want…” I began, but she shifted so both her golden eyes met mine, and it was hard to remember what I was saying. “Do you wantmeto stay?”
She nodded.
There was another long silence. “You… went… to my place?” she asked, at last.
“Your landlord kept everything,” I said. “I thought… maybe you’d want it here. I thought—when you were ready, I could help you make this like… home.” I didn’t dare say the word nest.
I didn’t deserve to, after what we’d done. We’d hurt her again. We just got her back, and we’d hurt her again.
I hated them.
I fucking hated Ebony and Rook right now.
The raspberry treacle in the air seemed to wilt, and I noticed she squeezed the collar tighter.
“When Drake said Aisha was your best friend,” I said. “I didn’t know…”
“She was the best friend I ever had.” Her voice was hoarse. “She was… my protection. The only reason I felt safe.”
Another long silence passed, and I could see her chin shaking as she warred with tears.
Vex was a new person to me now. There was so much about her I’d assumed. All of it was wrong. Before this, she’d had almost no one. The room had been evidence of that.
An omega and her dog.
No friends. No family.
“I um…” She paused, then the next words came tumbling out. “I matched you when I snuck into one of your beta-only signings.” Her whole frame tensed as if she were afraid of what I would say.
I squeezed her hand tight in mine. “I know.”
Her golden eyes found me again, confused.
“We saw the post you made,” I told her.
Her chin quivered, and she glanced down at the collar she was clutching. “Everyone who replied told me I was selfish and horrible for going to your event.”
“No—”
“They were… I mean… theywereright.”
“I don’t think you’re selfish, Vex,” I told her.
There was another long silence, and I didn’t say anything else, feeling as if she were building courage for something.
“Are you… okay?” she asked.
“Don’t worry about me. I’m just…” I swallowed. “You’re back. That’s all that matters. It’s all I care about.”
“I… I wanted to thank you.”
“For what?” I asked.
“You tried… you tried to listen to me. About the limo…”
