The club is going to have opinions, some good, some not.
But I'm not naive. I walked into this with my eyes open.
Loving Rush means dealing with complications, means navigating his past and his fears, means standing my ground when people push back.
And I'm ready for that.
I'm not going to fight for him. I'm not going to compete with Ciara. I'm not going to play games.
But I am going to stay. I am going to choose him back. I am going to trust that he means what he says until he proves otherwise.
And if he runs, if he proves me wrong, then I'll deal with it.
But right now, with his arm around me and his breathing steady against my neck, I choose to believe him.
I choose to trust that last night meant something.
That this morning wasn't just afterglow.
That when he says he's staying, he means it.
And that's enough.
For now, that's enough.
13
RUSH
I wake up alone, and for a second my chest tightens.
Then I see the note on the pillow beside me.
Had to get to the lab early. Coffee's made. Don't panic and run.
- E
I almost smile. She knows me too well already.
I get up and find my jeans, pull them on and walk into her kitchen.
The coffee pot is full and still warm. There's a mug set out for me next to it.
Small things, but they matter.
I pour coffee and look around her flat, really look at it this time.
Books stacked on the coffee table, lab notes scattered across the desk, a hoodie thrown over the back of the couch.
Her life is here in these small details, and I'm part of it now.
There's a photo on the fridge—Everly with her dad and some other Vipers. She's maybe sixteen and grinning at the camera.
Diesel's got his arm around her shoulders and he's smiling in a way I've never seen.
I know that look. It's the look of a father who would do anything to protect his daughter.
Even from someone like me.