~ Becca ~
I didn’t tell Jace what Stephen said to me.
Not because I was afraid.
Not because I needed protecting.
But because it didn’t deserve air yet.
Some things grow teeth when you speak them out loud.
We drove back to my apartment in silence, the city sliding past like it always did indifferent, bright, pretending nothing personal had happened. Jace’s hand stayed on the wheel. Mine rested in my lap. The quiet between us wasn’t awkward. It was heavy. Weighted.
“You okay?” he asked eventually.
“Yes,” I said.
It wasn’t a lie.
It just wasn’t the whole truth.
Inside the apartment, I kicked off my shoes and set my keys down carefully, like noise might break something fragile inside me. Jace moved through the space like he belonged there now comfortable, familiar, not asking permis
