Aubree’s POV
The hallway felt too quiet after my confession.
Too still.
Too fragile.
My breathing hitched again, and I looked away, wiping at my face even though that was pointless by now.
Abel noticed immediately.
“Bree…” he murmured.
Before I could step back or fall apart again, Abel pulled me straight into his chest—no hesitation, no asking, just instinct.
His arms wrapped around me like they had a mind of their own, strong and warm and desperate.
My cheek pressed against his heartbeat.
It was fast—too fast.
“You don’t ever cry,” he whispered into my hair. “Not ever. Especially over one of us.”
A soft, broken sound escaped me.
Then—
a gentle glide of warmth against my back.
Carter.
He didn’t crowd me.
He didn’t force himself in.
He simply rested his hand between my sh
