Chapter 127: Penny
run after him, boots crunching against the frost–bitten gravel,
“Asher,” I call. “Please slow down. Each of your steps is like the of mine
ate doesn’t answer, but his pace eases just enough for me to catch sp, the back of his goat brushing my arm. He keeps his eyes ahead, jaw sharp with
Tension
Behind me, there’s a shuffle of faster steps.
“Iony, wait,”
I tum. Tyler catches up, breath logging in the coll, looking genuinely confused.
“I don’t get it,” he says, “What did I do wrong?”
Istare at him. “Three random guys were holding me. They were threatening your brother. And you stood there. You did nothing.”
Tyler blinks, like he hadn’t even thought of it that way. “I knew Asher would handle it.”
I stare harder. “That’s the problem, Ty. He should have to handle it. Not just because people think he’s indestructible.”
Tyler Marts to
starts to speak, but I keep going.
“You could’ve just… said something. Told them you were my boyfriend. Told them just fell. It would’ve stopped everything”
He nods slowly, rubbing the back of his neck, “Yeah. Okay, I see what you’re saying.”
He glances toward Asher, who’s still walking ahead.
I watch him jog forward, so their silhouettes exchange a few short words. I can’t hear what they’re saying, but Asher nods once, barely,
Tyler comes back, shrugs, and says. “He said it’s fine. I’ll grab the others and meet you guys back at the lodge.”
I nod
Then I nun after
Jain
He’s just crossing past a quiet, snow–dusted alley that leads toward the edge of the parking lot, where the sun’s already starting to dip a little. Not quite golden hour, but the world looks hushed and softened, like it’s holding its breath.
“Asher, wall.”
I reach for him, grabbing the edge of his sleeve and then his hand.
He stop
But he doesn’t tur
“I’m so sorry,” I say softly.
will doesn’t speak.
“I tried to tell then. I really did. I should have left the bruises out like that, I should’ve put on makeup or-
1/4
Chapter 127: Penny
“Penny,” he says, wilce low, quiet.
11 keep rambling.
“I didn’t think it would be a problem. And now this what if it put you in a bad headspace or trigerted something ar-
He bors so fast I nearly kiumble barkward
This hands erme up–not rough, not hard–but firm. Dine palm presses the brick wall gently behind me, bracketing me in.
the other lands on the opposite side of my head,
And then his Borchead drops to mine.
The breath feceres in my lungs
He breathes in, sharp and long, like he’s trying to calm a storm inside him.
Onor. Trice. Three times.
And I don’t move. Not an inch.
“Stop blaming yourself,” he says, voice gravel and control. “You didn’t do anything wrong
He lifts his head just enough to meet my eyes. His paze in fire. Focused
“I anyone’s in a bad headspace, it’s because some entitled assholes thought they could get in my space and lay hand on you. Not because of you.”
My eyes sting. “They… they didn’t hurt you, right?”
He lets out a beeath that’s almost a chuckle, but “Come on, Penny. You probably punched me harder than he did.”
That makes me laugh–just a little. A breath of levity in the cold,
Then I ask, “Did you really break that guy’s fingers?”
He shrugs, barely guilty. “Two. Maybe three. He’ll be fine.”
“But you didn’t even flinch.”
“Doesn’t take a whole lot of energy to break fingers”
He reaches for me again–this time slower–and lifts the sleeve of my coat. His fingers trace lightly over the marks on my wrist
To
fine,” I say quickly. “They didn’t even squeeze that hard.”
He studies the skin, quiet. Then lowers my sleeve again
“To sorry,” I winger.
He looks up
“This probably… triggered something.” I The crowd. The shouting Being attacked. I’m so sorry.”
He exhales slowly. “I didnt trigger anything, Peny. I’m not mad because there was a fight. If you can even call it that. Drunk idiots try this stuff on mur all the time.”
Chapter 127: Penny
“But you looked… so upset.”
He’s quiet for a beat…
Then he moves forward–slowly–puts one hand on my shoulder, the other at my
and pul
ne gamt him
Not a bone–crushing hot. Not dramatic. Just….. warm. Protertive, Steady.
And in completely breaks me.
I don’t move at first, freeen again his chest, my palma hovering like I’m afraid to make it real.
Then I melt
I lean into him, check to his collarbone, nose to the curse of his neck, arms folding amund his waist like I’m holding onto a tether in a hurricane.
He smells like smoke and winter wird and something sharp underneath that’s just… him.
“I don’t like people touching me,” he says quietly. “You know that.”
I nod against him.
“But you you’re different”
The words hit me like a weight to the lungs.
“I’m glad you were there,” I murmur.
“You shouldn’t have needed me to be.”
We stay like that. Still. The alley around us quiet. The market noise fading with distance. His thumb brushes softly against the edge of my back.
I close my eyes.
Safe
Worm.
And for the first time in hours, the tremble in my spine eases.
He pulls back first, just enough to look at me.
“Let’s go,” he says, voice a little rough.
He tucks a piece of my hair behind my ear. “Anywhere but here.”
And this time, when we walk, he doesn’t stay ahead.
He walks beside mr.
Close enough that our shoulders touch.
Like he doesn’t want the space anymore.
