Wonder. That’s what I heard in her voice. Like she’d just discovered a new superpower.
Her lips curved into a small smile. “That’s enough for now, just knowing that.”
She rolled back over, fitted her ass against my crotch—with an extra wiggle—and before long, her breathing evened out. I stayed up and let my mind drift back to what my dad had said. She was still here fighting, and I was immeasurably grateful for that. She was in my arms, still trusting me to keep her safe. Trusting me, and herself, enough to admit she wasn’t okay.
Sometime after I’d eventually fallen asleep, Jenna bolted upright.
I was immediately awake, assessing her and looking into the darkness, barely illuminated by the nightlight, listening for danger. “You okay, Firefly?”
“I want to go home.”
What the hell? She didn’t want to stay here with me?
I reached over to turn on the lamp. Jenna sat with her arms wrapped around her knees, but despite the nervous position, her eyes burned with determination.
“To your apartment? To stay?” She wasn’t in any physical danger; there was no reason she had to be here. But fuck no. I couldn’t leave her there alone. I wouldn’t.
“No. To Atlanta. To my parents. I want to tell them everything.”
I laid my hand over hers, my thumb drawing circles over her knuckles. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’m tired of pretending. I pretend I’m okay. Pretend I’m not scared. Pretend I’m not mad. Pretend to drink. Pretend I’m too busy for graduation.Why?Snake Eyes knew I was scared of him. My parents think I’m pathetic and you’re controlling. Tyler thinks I don’t care about him. I’m not fooling anybody. Maybe I fooled myself into thinking it worked, but that’s it. I’m done pretending.” She sat up a little taller, exhaling a long breath. “I’m going to tell them the truth about everything, and I’m going to tell Tyler I love him and I miss him and I want to go to his graduation.”
Hope roared to life deep inside me, her light, brilliant and unstoppable, shattering the darkness. Careful to only let a drop of that seep into my words, I said, “I think that’s a great idea, Firefly.”
“I thought I was being strong, pushing through without letting my fear stop me, but it took on a life of its own, and now I don’t even know what’s real or fake.” Her voice wavered and a tear rolled down her cheek, even sadder against the determination in eyes. “I’ve been pretending for so long, I don’t even know who I am.”
I sat up and kissed her cheek, the saltiness making my own eyes sting. "You’re still you. When you feel safe, like when you’re with me or with Juliette and Nicky, you’re yourself. When you feel the need to protect yourself, that’s part of you too. And that’s okay. It’s not all of you. Deep in your soul where no one can touch it, you’re a brilliant, unstoppable light, full of love and beauty.” I held her hand over my chest. “Can you feel the way my heart pounds for you? That’s your wild, fierce, uncontainablelight blazing through me. Feel it, Firefly, and let it guide you through the darkness.”
She laid her cheek against my chest, and I wrapped my arms around her, hoping she could feel all the faith I had in her. Couldn’t she absorb it through some kind of magic—or osmosis, maybe—until she loved and believed in herself as much as I did?
“You’ll come with me, right?”
“Of course. I’ll be right by your side the entire time.”
“Good.”
“He’s going to be there?” I confirmed.
She looked up, fear in her eyes. “His parents still live across the street, and he lives a few minutes away, but he supposedly spends most of his time there. He’s a good child for visiting his parents… unlike me,” she added bitterly.
I blew out a breath and imagined tearing him apart inch by inch, starting with his dick.
“Liam, you can’t,” she said, obviously reading my mind.
“I can’t make any promises, Firefly. If he comes near you or says a fucking word to you, I’m going to do what needed to be done a long time ago.”
She looked like she wanted to argue, but she nodded. She knew she couldn’t stop me. Probably also knew I’d do it whether he came near her or not. The fucker was going to pay.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Jenna
I was ready to book the flight seconds after making the decision to go, but Liam made me wait until morning to get clearance from the pulmonologist. Now we had it, and my hands shook as I hovered over the button to buy the tickets.
“I’m so damn proud of you for wanting this, Firefly, but it doesn’t have to be now.”
“It does. Today is the first day of the new me.” Besides, Tyler’s graduation was a month away, so I only had one month to fix things enough to be able to go.