Chapter 40
She falls asleep still shaking.
It doesn't happen cleanly or gently, just a slow collapse out of exhaustion, like her body finally runs out of fear to burn through.
Chloe is still clinging to me when it happens.
Her grip loosens bit by bit until her fingers stop tightening altogether, her breathing evening out into something fragile but steady.
I stay still the whole time.
Don't move her.
Don't rush it.
Just hold her until I'm certain she's actually asleep and not just slipping under from sheer exhaustion.
Callahan is quiet beside us, Ava now calm in his arms, her head tucked against his chest.
The bathroom feels too small for how much just happened in it.
Too loud in memory, even though it's silent now.
"Is she out?" Callahan asks softly.
I check Chloe again.
Her face is pressed into my chest, lashes damp, breathing slow.
"Yeah," I say quietly. "She's out."
Callahan nods once, adjusting Ava slightly.
"You want me to take her back to yours?" he asks.
I shake my head immediately.
"No. I've got it."
Carefully, slowly, I shift Chloe's weight, sliding one arm under her shoulders and the other under her knees.
She barely reacts.
Just a faint sound, like she's too far under to wake fully.
Callahan moves first, opening the bathroom door for me without a word.
The apartment outside is wrecked in a way I don't look at for long.
I don't need to.
Ryan is gone.
That's enough.
I carry Chloe across the hall.
Each step is controlled. Measured. Like if I rush it, she'll break again.
My apartment is dark when I open the door.
Quiet.
Safe.
I take her straight to my bedroom.
Careful not to bump anything, not to jolt her awake.
When I lower her onto the bed, she shifts slightly, just enough to curl into the mattress instinctively, like even asleep she knows she's somewhere better than where she was.
I watch her for a moment.
Just breathing.
Just there.
Still alive.
Still safe.
Callahan appears in the doorway quietly.
"Ava's settled," he says. "She's fine."
I nod once without looking away from Chloe.
"Thanks," I say.
He doesn't respond immediately.
Then, softer
"She trusts you."
I glance at him briefly.
"She trusts you, too," I say.
He huffs something like a quiet laugh, then steps back.
"I'll head out," he says. "You've got it from here."
The door clicks shut behind him.
Silence settles.
I sit on the edge of the bed for a moment, watching Chloe breathe.
Her face is still tight with everything she's been holding in for too long.
Her hand twitches once against the sheets.
Instinctively, I cover it with mine.
She doesn't wake.
Just relaxes a fraction under the contact.
And I realize something I probably should've admitted earlier.
I'm not just making sure she's safe.
I can't imagine her being anywhere else.