Silas
Ember's breathing eventually evened out, and I could tell that she’d calmed down. After a few minutes, her shaky inhales tapered off and then disappeared altogether. With each second that passed, her breathing against my collarbone became slower and steadier.
Having her in my arms like this was an entirely different experience than the one I’d found myself in ten minutes ago.
I’d take every beating she gave me, every foul word and gesture—because that’s what she needed.
From now on, I would be that, no matter what it took.
Even now, I sat as still as I could. My leg was asleep, and I couldn’t feel my arm, but there was no way I planned on moving away from her.
I would remain her pillow as long as she was asleep, because her walls were now completely down.
She had voluntarily shown me the fire within her, and I’d shown her that it couldn’t burn me—that I wasn’t scared of it.
I hoped with everything in me that she’d seen that.
The warmth of her body stung the scratches on my chest, the skin there still raw.
In her rage, she’d torn several areas open, but I couldn't blame her. None of that mattered anyway, I would’ve let her inflict far worse to be able to have this moment with her.
The pain had been worth it because she trusted me.
I could see it even now, while she slept in my arms. Her fingers had slowly uncurled from their forced grip, and her forehead smoothed over in a blank expression.
Even her jaw had softened, allowing her lips to part just slightly with each breath.
This had been the goal, the entire reason I’d taken off my mask in the first place.
I knew for us to make headway, I had to offer her a fragile piece of me first. In hindsight, it was the least I could do for her.
There were a dozen reasons she had spiraled tonight, and most of them had something to do with me.
Forcing myself to accept some of the responsibility for her, I tilted my head back and leaned against the wall behind me, careful not to jostle her.
The beat from below vibrated us gently, but for the most part, the sound was hidden like always. Like us.
After warning everyone I'd be stepping away, I knew no one would come looking for me here, which meant we’d have this space for as long as we needed it. The best part was the fact she was already comfortable here. For now, everything was handled—except Knox, who was taking far too long.
Although it seemed like such a small thing, I knew the steps involved. I also knew he was taking this seriously because when I left, he promised me he would find answers. I was now waiting on that to crack this mystery wide open.
I lifted my hand and traced the curve of her cheek.
Her body twitched in response to my touch, as if she still guarded in some way.
Each of the layers that I planned to rip away were mine to keep safe now.
I wanted to know everything. I wanted to hear her thoughts, her fears, and I wanted to take them all away.
Here in my office, nothing was going to touch us anyway. I could bet my life on it.
Settling into her with that thought, I closed my eyes.
Would it be smart to rest now, with her in my arms?
Just for a few minutes? If I didn’t sleep while she did, I would have to create time for rest later—that was a luxury I didn't exactly have at the moment.
Figuring it was for the best, I shifted her higher on my chest and let her weight settle against me.
I had just closed my eyes when vibrations erupted in my pocket.
I sucked in a sharp breath, tightening my hold on her. Looking down, I noticed Ember stir from the sound, but thankfully, she didn’t wake.
Groaning as quietly as I could, I slid a hand down the back of my jeans, fishing the phone free without moving her. The screen’s immediate glow lit the dim room around us in a pale blue.
Message from Knox
I clicked as soon as I saw it, trying to control my anxiety.
All three phones of the roommates have been cleared.
There’s no sign it’s any of them. I’m running through the others who have been at her house recently.
Apparently, teammates are in and out a lot.
I’m handling things as fast as I can. Just keep her there with you and don’t let her out of your sight.
I read the message over and over, especially the last sentence.
That was the plan, for however long she would let me.
The text came with a rush of disappointment.
He hadn’t found much to go off of, but at least it wasn’t nothing.
If it wasn’t her roommates, that could help us narrow the potential list of people down by quite a bit.
The fact it could be any potential number of teammates made it harder.
If they were in and out, that meant a lot of access and even more opportunities for them to be in her room.
My jaw flexed as I realized way too many people had access to her.
I slid the phone onto the floor beside me instead of putting it back in my pocket.
One less interruption was one less risk of waking her.
She shifted slightly as I did so, her nose brushing against my collarbone.
A quiet, unconscious hum left her, and the sound vibrated straight into my chest. The quick jolt I felt as a result had nothing to do with the wounds on my chest and everything to do with her.
Gently locking my arms around her, I cradled her head beneath my chin and tilted us up against the wall behind me.
The thought of letting myself rest pulled at the edge of my vision. The door was locked, and no one could come inside. Knox was busy, figuring out all the things I couldn't do. In every way I thought about it, taking this time to close my eyes would only benefit me in the end.
I let myself drift, just slightly, keeping my arms firm around her as sleep edged closer.