Nicole’s POV
I stayed quiet for a while after that, letting the comfort sink in. Zara didn’t rush me. She never did. She just sat there with me, thumb brushing absent circles over the back of my hand like she was anchoring me to the moment.
Eventually, I straightened, wiping my face and taking a steady breath. “I don’t want to go back there today,” I said.
Zara looked at me carefully. “The house?”
I nodded. “Not yet. I just… I need to be around someone who feels normal. Somewhere that doesn’t feel like I’m constantly holding my breath.”
She tilted her head. “So what are you thinking?”
I hesitated for half a second, then said it. “I want to come to work with you.”
Her eyebrows lifted. “Work-work?”
“Yes,” I replied quickly, before I could overthink it. “I don’t want to sit alone and
