Ellie POV
Kieran didn’t release me from his embrace. For a long moment, we just stood there, the air between us heavy with unspoken thoughts. I could see the calculations flickering behind his eyes, the way he was processing the weight of what I’d said, what it meant.
Finally, he spoke, his voice softer than I expected. “You’ve been carrying this alone for a long time.”
I swallowed hard and nodded. There were a few people that knew, but I couldn’t tell him that. Not yet. “It’s safer that way.”
He studied me for a moment before saying, “You don’t have to do it alone anymore, Ellie. You shouldn’t.”
I almost laughed at that—shouldn’t. But there was no humor in me left to give.
“You don’t understand,” I said quietly. “I can’t risk anyone else getting hurt. The moment people find out, the
