“Because Auren isn’t a problem anymore,” I say. “I don’t need to dump my issues on other people when that’s already in the past.”
Jared stares at me in that sad way he does sometimes, like he wants to hug me but is holding back. “That’s not dumping.”
“It feels like it,” I argue. “Like asking him to carry this ugly piece of my past so I can justify keeping my guard up.”
He shakes his head. “That’s not what it would be. It would be context.”
I stare down into my soup. “I don’t want him to think I’m broken. Or that I’m projecting.”
“Emily.” Jared waits until I look at him. “Your lived experience is not a burden. And it doesn’t mean you’re a weak Alpha if you tell others about it.”
The words lodge in my chest, uncomfortable and true.
“If anything,” he adds, quieter now, “it might help Leif feel safer. Knowing that if hedoestalk, you’re not going to panic. Or push. Or try to fix him.”
I swallow hard. “I don’t want to make this about me.”
“And you wouldn’t,” he replies. “You’d be letting him see how you understand. You’ve been where he’s at, and you survived.”
I stay quiet, staring into my bowl until the steam fades, unsure what unsettles me most.
“Talking about Auren doesn’t mean you owe Leif anything,” Jared says. “And it doesn’t mean he owes you anything, either. But it opens a door.”
My shoulders tense. “I’m not sure I’m ready for that. It’s hard enough talking toyouabout it.”
“That’s okay. You don’t have to decide today.” He picks his spoon back up. “But don’t confuse protecting yourself with erasing yourself. You’ve worked too hard to heal from what Auren did to you.”
A tight ache forms behind my eyes. “Okay.”
Jared gestures to the phone that sits screen-side down next to my plate. “Did you respond to his text?”
I shake my head. “Wasn’t sure what to say.”
“You can’t leave him on Read, Em,” Jared rebukes, his voice gentle. “If he’s going through a tough time, he’s going to read your silence as condemnation.”
I straighten in alarm. “That’s not?—”
“I know,” he says, still so gentle, “because I’m sitting right here with you and can see how much this is tying you up in knots. But Leif’s not here. He’s alone.”
“Shit.” I snatch up my phone and open our chat.
It’s already been twenty minutes since his text arrived, and my fingers fly over the screen.
Emily
No problem. I understand how things come up. The offer stands whenever you’re ready.
Take care.
Simple. Direct. A door left open without demanding he walk through it.
I hit send and set the phone down.
A smile plays at the corners of Jared’s mouth.
“What?” I ask.
“Nothing.” He shakes his head. “Just marveling at how much you’ve grown.”