Chapter Twenty-Seven #2
I leaned in close to her ear. “This is chaos.”
She elbowed me lightly and wandered deeper into the store.
I stayed close. Not hovering. Not smothering. Just… there.
She moved from shelf to shelf, touching things carefully, smiling at little treasures like she was collecting moments instead of objects.
I watched her more than I watched the antiques.
Because Clove alive and curious and excited was something I didn’t want to take for granted.
She stopped at a table covered in old trinkets and picked up a small music box. The kind with a tiny dancer inside.
“Look at this,” she said, turning, expecting me to be right behind her.
But I’d drifted half a step away to look at an old sign on the wall.
So when she turned, she didn’t find me.
She found a man.
A guy I didn’t recognize stood close, reaching out like he was going to steady her.
Clove reared back.
Her eyes went wide, panic flashing across her face so fast it made my blood run cold.
She stumbled and the man reached to help.
His hand touched her arm and Clove snapped.
She screamed.
It wasn’t just a scream. It was raw. Instinctive. Like her body had been waiting to do it for days.
I was there instantly.
I didn’t think. I moved.
I grabbed the man’s wrist and shoved him back hard enough that he stumbled into a shelf. “Get your fucking hands off her,” I growled.
The man’s eyes went wide. “Whoa, hey, man, I was just… she was falling.”
Clove was shaking. Breathing fast, like she couldn’t get air.
I turned to her and pulled her into my arms, wrapping her tight, with one hand cradling the back of her head.
“Hey,” I murmured into her hair. “You’re okay. You’re okay. It’s me. It’s Ender.”
Her fingers clawed into my shirt, gripping like she was afraid I’d disappear. “I—I—” she tried to speak, but it came out broken.
The man held his hands up. “I wasn’t trying to, I swear. I just—”
“Shut up,” I snapped without looking at him.
A voice cut through the tension. “What on earth is going on?”
A woman came hurrying toward us from behind the counter. She was calm, but her eyes were sharp. Late twenties, maybe close to thirty. Dark hair pulled back, soft features that looked like they’d learned empathy the hard way.
She took one look at Clove shaking in my arms and her expression changed immediately. “Sweetheart,” she said gently, “are you okay?”
I started to say the guy put his hands on Clove, but Clove interrupted me.
Clove’s voice was small. Thin. “He—he was just trying to help. I just… I just freaked out because…” Her words collapsed.
“She was attacked,” I said, forcing my voice to stay even. “Someone grabbed her before. She got taken. It… it triggered something.”
The woman’s gaze softened in a way that made my chest ache. “Oh, honey,” she whispered. She turned her head slightly and looked at the man. “Eli,” she said, gentle but firm, “go give her space.”
Eli’s face crumpled with guilt. “I didn’t mean to—”
“I know,” she said. “But right now, she needs space.”
He nodded quickly and backed away, looking genuinely shaken.
The woman turned back to Clove, her voice calm. “My name is Rose,” she said. “You’re safe. Okay? You’re in my shop. That man is a good guy. He would never hurt you.”
Clove nodded weakly, still pressed against me.
Rose continued softly, “I know that look. I know that feeling.” She tapped her chest lightly. “I’ve been there. Sometimes your body remembers before your brain can catch up.”
Clove’s breathing hitched. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“Don’t apologize,” Rose said instantly. “Not for surviving.”
That sentence hit me hard.
Rose looked between us, understanding flickering in her eyes. “I’m guessing your shopping trip is over for the day,” she said with a sad little smile.
Clove let out a shaky laugh that sounded more like a sob.
Rose reached into the pocket of her apron and pulled out a card, holding it out. “Here,” she said. “This is my card. If you ever want to come back, another day when you’re feeling better, you’re welcome. No pressure. Just… know you’re welcome.”
Clove took the card with trembling fingers. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Rose nodded, her eyes warm. “You two take care, okay?”
I gave her a tight nod. “Thanks.”
She glanced at me once more, then back at Clove. “And sweetheart? You did nothing wrong.”
Clove nodded again, swallowing hard.
I guided her toward the door, ny arm firm around her waist, and we stepped out into the sunlight.
Clove walked beside me, still holding the card in one hand like it was an anchor.
We made it to the bike and I sat on it, pulling her between my knees. She fit there perfectly, my hands wrapped around her waist, holding her steady.
“You okay?” I asked softly.
She nodded, but her eyes were glassy. “I am. It just… it triggered something. When he touched me, my brain just…”
“I’m touching you,” I said, my voice low.
She looked up at me, swallowing. “You’re different.”
“How?”
“Everything is different with you,” she whispered. “You make me feel safe.”
The words hit me like a punch.
I pulled her closer, burying my face in her chest.
“I’m sorry,” I murmured. “I should’ve been right behind you.”
“You were,” she said quietly. “You were there instantly.”
I tightened my arms around her. “Still.”
She exhaled slowly, and her body relaxed against mine inch by inch.
We stayed like that for a moment, just breathing together while the town moved around us.
A car passed. Someone laughed across the street. A bell chimed when a door opened.
Life kept going.
But my world was right here in my arms.
“You want to head back?” I asked.
Clove nodded. “Yeah.”
“You’re okay,” I said again, because I needed her to believe it.
“I’m okay,” she echoed.
“Let’s ride, baby.” She stepped back, and I swung my leg over the bike.
She climbed on behind me and wrapped her arms around my waist, holding tight.
I started the bike, the engine roared, and we pulled away from Junction, leaving the little town behind.