Avery:
I didn’t know exactly what we were walking into. But I knew one thing for sure—whatever it was, I’d face it beside him.
My stomach had been in knots since the moment he told me we had to go to the compound. Cruz didn’t say much after that—just held me for a while longer, like maybe he was afraid of what the morning would bring. I didn’t ask more questions. I could feel the weight in his silence, and I didn’t want to make him carry more than he already was.
Still, I woke early, restless, nerves twisting tighter with every passing minute. I showered, got dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a fitted long sleeve, tugged on my boots. Every piece of clothing felt heavier today—like it mattered how I showed up, because I would be with him.
I could feel his eyes on me the entire time I
