Page 103 of Manic

I may not be able to fix all the world's problems, but I'll be damned if I let this continue right in front of me.

I watch as the guy's eyes sweep over the clubhouse, his lip curling in disgust.

"Even your family is fucking nuts. Look at this place," he spits out, gesturing wildly.

Astrid's shoulders slump, and I can see the fight drain out of her. "You should probably leave," she says quietly. "Wanting you to meet my family was a big mistake."

He laughs, the sound dripping with narcissism.

"No problem," he sneers, turning on his heel and stalking away.

I wait until he's out of earshot before approaching Astrid.

"Hey," I say softly, touching her arm. "Are you okay?"

She turns to me, and I can see the tears shimmering in her eyes.

She's trying so hard to hold them back, to maintain her composure, but I can see the pain etched across her face.

"It's all right," I murmur, giving her arm a gentle squeeze. "Let it out. You don't have to hold it in."

Astrid runs her fingertips through her light brown hair, a heavy sigh escaping her lips.

The dam breaks, and tears start to fall freely down her cheeks.

"I'm just so mad," she confesses, her voice cracking. "I've given myself to Laken time and time again. I've changed so much for him, and he doesn't even appreciate it."

My heart aches for her.

I know all too well what it's like to bend yourself into knots for someone who doesn't value you. "Oh, honey," I say, pulling her into a hug. "You deserve so much better than that."

I pull back from the hug, looking Astrid straight in the eyes. "Listen to me," I say firmly, my hands on her shoulders. "You should never have to change for a man. Period. It's stupid, and any guy who wants you to change doesn't actually love you. They love the idea of you, or what they think you should be. But that's not real love."

Astrid scoffs, wiping away a tear with the back of her hand. "I loved him," she says bitterly. "But he never loved me. It's so evident now."

My chest tightens at the pain in her voice.

I've been there, thinking I was in love with someone who saw me as nothing more than a plaything. "I know it hurts," I say softly. "But you're better off without him."

I take a deep breath, choosing my next words carefully. "Men like Laken, they'll love bomb you at first. Make you feel like you're on top of the world. Then they'll gaslight you, act like they never said or did those things." I squeeze her shoulders gently. "But you're smart, Astrid. You're smart enough to know who to give your heart to, and who to keep it from."

Astrid nods, her lower lip trembling slightly.

She reaches out and grabs my hand, her grip surprisingly strong. "Thank you for talking to me about this," she says, her voice barely above a whisper. "I can't talk to my Mom about everything."

A pang of sadness hits me as I realize she's talking about Charm, her stepmom.

I wonder if Astrid even remembers much about her birth mother.

The thought makes me want to hold her tighter, to be the maternal figure she so clearly needs right now.

"I'm glad I could help," I tell her, giving her hand a squeeze. "Hey, why don't we go inside and get some of that chili? I don't know about you, but I'm starving."

Astrid's face brightens a little at the mention of food. "God, yes. I'm absolutely famished," she says, then her expression darkens. "Laken was always getting on me about my weight. He was pressuring me to lose 30 pounds, so I kind of started skipping two meals a day."

I feel a surge of anger toward this asshole I've never even met.

Who the hell does he think he is?

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