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“Tonight, it’s just you and me. Nothing else matters.” He seals the promise with a press of his lips to mine.
This is what it means to trust, to let someone in—to stand with them, hand in hand, against whatever darkness may come. With JD, I am not alone. I am part of something bigger, something fierce and unbreakable. And in the hush of the night, wrapped in the warmth of his embrace, I find a courage I never knew I had.
JD’s arms are an unyielding fortress around me, his chest a solid backrest against the chaos we’ve left behind. The fire has dwindled to embers, casting a faint glow on the rough contours of his face.
“We should get some sleep,” he murmurs, and there’s a tenderness in his voice I never knew a man like JD could possess. “I’ve got you.”
“Stay with me,” I plead softly, not ready to let go of this moment, afraid it might slip through my fingers like so much sand.
“Always,” he vows, and there’s steel in that single word—a warrior’s oath that chases away the shadows.
We climb into the car, cuddled together, and as sleep claims me, I burrow deeper into his embrace. Letting go of the fears that have long clawed at my insides. His presence is a balm to the wounds I’ve carried for too long. In the sanctuary of his arms, I allow myself to dream—perhaps for the first time—in colors other than the stark black and white of survival.
***
The dawn light filters through the trees, painting stripes of gold and amber across our makeshift bed. My eyes flutter open to find JD watching me, his gaze tracing the lines of my face as if committing them to memory.
“Morning,” he says, voice rough with sleep but eyes alight with something softer.
“Is it?” I stretch, feeling an unfamiliar ease in my limbs. The fears of yesterday seem distant, like storm clouds that have passed. “Feels more like a new beginning.”
JD chuckles, a low rumble that vibrates through me. “With you, every damn day feels like that.”
We rise together, movements in sync as if we’ve done this a thousand times before. Our hands brush as we get out of the car and stamp out the final glowing remnants of the campfire.
“Ready to leave?” JD asks.
“Let’s hit the road.”
Together, side by side, we pull onto the empty road, leaving only tire tracks and the echo of our departure behind. Ahead lies uncertainty, danger, maybe even heartbreak—but also the chance for something real. For the first time, I’m not staring down the barrel of the unknown alone. I have JD, with his unwavering strength and the promise of a love fierce enough to fight the coming storms.
And with him, I am unafraid.
Chapter Five
JD
New York’s skyline looks like jagged teeth on the horizon. Cheree is sitting close to me; I steal a glance at her. Her jaw is set, and her red hair frames her face. She’s tough, but there’s a fragility to her, one I want to explore.
“Cheree, you alright?”
I can tell she’s wrestling with something. Finally, she takes a deep breath, her voice cutting through the noise as she speaks.
“JD, there’s something about my past... something I’ve never told you.” Her words come out hesitantly, but I hear the steel beneath them.
“Whatever it is, you can tell me. You know that, right?” My voice is steady, but inside, my gut coils tight, ready for whatever blow is coming.
She glances at me, a flicker of vulnerability in her eyes before they harden again. “My momma, she...” Cheree’s voice breaks, but she pushes on, “she sold me to Tank.”
The confession hits me like a fist. I’ve seen a lot in my years with Grim, enough to know the world can be a cruel place, especially for someone like Cheree. But this? It’s a new kind of hell.
“Damn, Cheree...” My voice trails off, anger simmering below the surface. I keep my eyes on the road ahead, but all I see is her pain reflected in the asphalt, the betrayal she must have felt from the one person who should have protected her.
We drive in silence for a few heartbeats, the distance closing between us and the city. I reach over, finding her hand, gripping it tight enough to let her know I’m here, that I’m not going anywhere.
“Thanks for trusting me with that,” I finally say, my voice low but fierce. “It means something. It means a hell of a lot.”
She squeezes my hand back. The city skyline looms in the distance, a jagged silhouette against the twilight. Cheree’s breath comes out in shaky exhales. Her hand in mine is both fragile and fierce.
