BRIAR’S POV
I take deep, paced breaths with Tavian at my side, my arm tightly wrapped around his.
I never thought I’d be doing this with him again, trusting him after the trauma he’s put me through, yet somehow, I know there’s no one else I’d feel confident enough to walk into the room with.
It’s stupid, I can’t make sense of it, but that’s how it is.
My guard must have been let down by his gift—the pretty necklace with my favorite gemstones wrapped around my neck.
What can I say? I’m a sucker for gems; it’s one of my top weaknesses.
He reaches for the door, and I freeze again, my feet glued to the ground.
“Briar?”
“I don’t think I can do this.”
I thought I was over it, but that was clearly a stretch.
The walls seem to cave in on me from all sides, and the incessant nagging
