WINTER
Nath closes the door behind him and engages every lock—the deadbolt, the chain, the security latch. The multiple clicking sounds feel like a fortress being sealed against invasion.
I sink onto the bed, my whole body shaking with adrenaline and emotional overload. My heart is hammering like I just ran a sprint, and I'm struggling to process everything that just happened.
The kiss. Seeing Nath's face instead of Mike's. The way it felt to finally stand up to him, to slap him and watch him crumble. The fear when he forced his way in mixed with the relief when Nath appeared.
And underneath it all, a terrible awareness that part of me—some stupid, masochistic part—still responds to Mike's pain. Still wants to comfort him even after everything he's done.
I hate that part o
