My eyes burned. My throat squeezed tight. My whole body shook like it had been waiting to fall apart.
But still... no tears.
Just the ache of words I couldn't say and a thousand emotions I didn't know how to translate.
Sylas kept holding me.
He didn't flinch.
Didn't rush.
Just held me like he'd do it forever if that's what it took.
And in that moment, I didn't care that he was loud, or reckless, or too much.
He was warm.
And he was here.
And that was enough.
"I'm okay now," I whispered into his shoulder, voice scratchy, throat still raw.
It wasn't convincing.
Hell, I didn't even believe it.
I tried to step back, hands releasing his jacket, body untangling from the safety of his warmth.
But Sylas didn't let go.
Not fully.
He eased back just enough to see my face, his eyes sweeping over me like he was checking for bruises no one else could see.
"Are you?" he asked softly, one brow raised, the teasing in his voice gone. "Because you're kind of shaking like a leaf."
