"I appreciate that you both want to protect me," I said, keeping my voice steady. "I do. But I'm not a prize to be won or a problem to be solved. I get to decide what happens to me. Not you." I looked at Keanu. "And not you." I looked at Darien.
Keanu's expression shifted to something like shame. "Leah, I didn't mean—"
"I know." I softened my tone slightly. "I know you're trying to help. Both of you. But I need you to understand something. I won’t be talked over and ignored, or treated like I don’t matter. I will not go back to that. I won’t let anyone, even people who care about me, make choices for me."
The room was quiet. I could see Darien processing my words, could see the moment he connected them to what I'd told him about Shane. His jaw tightened, and I knew he was remembering. T
