He knows my voice instantly.
The smirk stretches slow across his mouth beneath the hood.
“Cassidy,” he says, amused. “I was wondering how long it would take before you showed up.”
I don’t rush. I don’t react.
I step closer.
“You were so scared,” he continues casually, like he’s recalling something funny. “You remember that? Shaking. Crying.”
My breathing shifts before I can stop it.
He notices it immediately.
A soft chuckle leaves him.
“That breathing,” he murmurs. “You used to sound like that when you were about to fall apart.”
Behind me, I feel the atmosphere change. The boys go quiet in way that I know is dangerous.
“You even tried to kill yourself,” he adds, almost conversational. “Over me.”
The driveway goes still.
“And yet here you are,” he continues. “Not so pathetic a
