30. Rose #2
“Yes,” Margot said, her voice firming. Anger lit her eyes.
“And that’s not all. My legal team’s been digging into his history.
This goes back further than you think. We found sealed disciplinary reports—incidents going back to high school.
There were warnings, transfer requests, and even witness statements that were buried.
They got craftier about hiding it as it got worse.
They’ve started filing it wrong or having a judge dismiss it, which means they have broken more laws than I could guess.
My attorney has been digging around, trying to avoid drawing attention by looking for other things.
We almost have everything figured out, and they want to file motions to unseal the documents they can’t access.
If they show a pattern of misconduct—and they will—it strengthens the case. ”
She slid a card across the table, the logo of a Michigan law firm stamped in gold.
Margot’s last name—Taggert—was one of the first names listed.
“You don’t have to be part of it if you don’t want to, but it would help.
Your statement is already on record, and I’m sure they can pull the one from this attack too.
It’s enough to establish an escalating pattern.
That would mean testimony, depositions, and a trial. It’s a lot to ask.”
Rose stared at the card. Her stomach roiled. “And if I say no?”
“Then you stay out of it,” Margot said gently. “You’ve been through enough. No one would blame you for wanting peace.”
Kirin’s thumb traced slow circles against her palm under the table, a quiet rhythm that steadied her breathing. “And if she says yes?” he asked, voicing the one she couldn’t. His tone was even but dark around the edges.
“Then he goes down harder,” Margot said. “And it won’t just be a criminal record. It’ll be public. No more hiding behind charm and legacy. No more using their influence to buy silence.”
Rose swallowed hard. The weight of it pressed down on her chest—the promise of justice, the dread of reliving it all.
“I’ll think about it,” she said finally.
“That’s all I ask.” Margot’s gaze softened. “I’m sorry it took me so long to believe you.”
Her voice was quiet, but sure. “I’m sorry he hurt you, too. I never wanted that.”
Margot nodded, her expression cracking for the first time. “At least now he won’t hurt anyone else.”
Margot tapped Ali on the leg, and she edged out of the booth. Margot and Gwen followed. Before leaving, she turned to look Kirin in the eye. “Thank you for being there for her.”
“I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else,” he said simply.
After they left, the silence settled heavy again.
“Well,” he said, settling into the booth, “that was a surprise.”
Rose let out a shaky laugh. “You could say that.”
Kirin leaned close, pressing his lips to her hair. “You okay?”
“I think so.”
“You don’t have to decide anything tonight. You just have to breathe. Eat a little. Rest.”
Rose gave a weak laugh, brushing her thumb across his knuckles. “You always make it sound simple.”
“It’s not,” he said, smiling faintly. “But we’ll get through it. Together.”
And she believed him.
The apartment was blessedly quiet when they made it upstairs. Kirin had warned her that Ainsley and Harper were worried. She was sure plenty of people were, but they’d respected her request to stay away. Probably with quite a few objections.
“Take a seat. I’ll grab you some water.” Kirin guided her to the couch, his hand leaving hers for a split second before she grabbed his wrist.
“I don’t need water. I need you to sit down and take a breath.” She tugged him back to her and then tugged again when he got close enough to drop onto the couch beside her. “I’ve done a lot of talking today, so why don’t you tell me what’s going on with you?”
“You realize we were together all day, right?”
“Then tell me how you’re processing. It’s been a lot these last couple of days, and you’ve been there for most of it.” She tilted her head at him, hoping he’d talk.
“Well, when you put it like that.” Kirin scooted a little closer and lifted her legs to place them over his lap. “It wasn’t what I expected, but I’m doing better now that I know you’re safe.”
“Sorry for worrying you. For putting you through all this.” She winced. Kirin nudged his fingers under her chin until her eyes lifted.
“Like you told Margot, you did nothing to deserve this.” Kirin brushed his thumb down the length of her jaw. “Never apologize for him. His actions are his own, and it’s time someone held him accountable.”
“I should have stayed with Laurel and Evan like we agreed.” She shook her head, in equal parts shame and disbelief that she’d been so stupid. “I was stupid to think that because the game was over—”
“I am going to need you not to call yourself stupid again.” Kirin leaned into her eyeline again. “And please stop letting Preston off the hook. Your reasoning was solid. He should have been in the away locker room.”
Rose looked at him, rubbing her fingers along her lower lip. He was right. She kept taking the blame. She kept giving him an out, even in her own mind. But she’d been trained into that, hadn’t she? She needed to train herself out of the habit.
“Can you remind me not to take ownership of other people’s actions?”
Kirin’s smile was slow and small. “Anytime, Flower.”
“Thank you.” She nodded. “Are you okay, though?”
“No, but I will be. I think making sure you’re good is helping.” He breathed out a sigh. “Maybe that makes me a sap, but knowing he hurt you again really messed with me. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to make it worse.”
Kirin scooted closer, pulling her until she got the message and climbed over him.
When she was straddling him, he wrapped his arm around her waist to support her and spread his hand along the curve of her hip.
Rose rested her arms along the back of the couch, careful to keep them relaxed.
The rest of her attention was on Kirin. He dipped his head and brushed a kiss over her cheek, kissing the sensitive spot behind her ear that made her skin break out in goose bumps.
“I love it when you do that,” he whispered in her ear. She could hear the smirk in his voice when a gentle shiver racked her body.
“It’s involuntary.” Her cheeks heated at the admission.
“I know. That’s why I love it.” He dragged his thumb down her bottom lip, and she enjoyed the way his cheeks pinked. “So many of my reactions to you have been involuntary.”
“Like what?” she asked.
She pressed herself against him. Her whole body hurt, so her movements were awkward, but Kirin brushed his hands down the length of her thighs, and she relaxed. Her groan was quiet, her eyes fluttering at the feel of him against her.
His voice was husky. “Like how my body reacts to touching you and how my heart pounds when you text me or I see you.”
Rose hummed. “I gotta say, I enjoy how your body reacts too.”
He chuckled, while her fingers dragged over the back of his head and tangled themselves in his hair. She froze when he pulled away. She found his eyes squeezed shut.
“You okay?” she asked, worry tinging her tone.
“Yes, just reminding myself I can’t—” He swallowed. Then looked down at her. “I can’t do what I want to do to you right now.”
Her eyebrows lifted. “Do you have a hair-pulling kink?”
The question came out breathier than she intended. But she was worried that if she said it any louder, it might conjure Ainsley and Harper. She really didn’t want to be interrupted right now. Outside of Kirin’s kink, she wanted to know what exactly he wanted to do to her.
“I have a you-pulling-my-hair kink,” he clarified quietly.
“Really?” she asked.
“You did it during our first kiss.” He sighed and rested his head against the couch. “I didn’t stand a chance after that.”
“Oh.” She swallowed, and he chuckled.
“I have a lot of kinks for things you do.” He leaned forward and pressed soft kisses up her neck, ending behind her ear again as she shivered. “I suspect that list is going to grow quite a bit.”
“But we haven’t slept together.”
“It’s not all sexual. It’s mostly stuff you do that just makes me react more. Pulling my hair when you kiss me is obviously more sexual than your fingers sliding through it when we watch movies. Or how you play with my hands when you’re thinking or stressed.”
“Sounds like you have a thing about me touching you.” She smiled, and he nodded.
“I do,” he confirmed as he brushed his lips against hers.
Rose kissed him back. Her fingers delved into the thick strands of hair to tip his head back on a groan.
As she leaned into him, he felt like a furnace against her.
She didn’t drop back into reality until one of his hands brushed the strands of hair out of her face and the rumble under her palm shifted from groans to words.
“Flower,” Kirin exhaled, and she hummed as she kissed down his neck. A quiet whimper slipped out. He pulled back until their eyes met. “Harper and Ainsley are here.”
“What?” she asked, only to stiffen when someone cleared their throat.
Rose shifted her eyes from Kirin to the kitchen, almost falling off Kirin’s lap when she found Harper and Ainsley standing with their eyes covered.
“Seems you’re feeling better,” Ainsley drawled as Kirin helped Rose off his lap.
“Hey,” Rose mumbled, her cheeks flaming as she crossed the room to pull each of her roommates into a hug. “I’m okay.”
“You could have mentioned your ex was crazy,” Ainsley admonished as she hugged Rose.
“Really buried the lead there, roomie,” Harper agreed.
“Sorry,” Rose muttered automatically as Kirin stepped up to the island behind her. “I didn’t think he’d do anything that dumb here.”
“You have got to stop giving people the benefit of the doubt. Stupidity hasn’t met a boundary it couldn’t cross.” Ainsley moved into the kitchen and poured herself a cup of milk.
“Yeah, I know,” Rose said as she leaned against the island.