Page 33 of Manic

She shakes her head, more tears escaping and trailing down her cheek. "I was scared. Ashamed. I thought I could handle it on my own."

I cup her face in my hands, my thumbs wiping away her tears. "You don't have to handle anything alone anymore, you hear me? I'm here. We'll face this together."

Meghan leans into my touch, closing her eyes. "I should have trusted you back then. I'm sorry, Tor."

"Hey, look at me," I say softly, waiting until she meets my gaze. "We can't change the past. But we can damn well make sure he never hurts you again, or our daughter. I promise you that."

She nods, a small smile tugging at her lips despite the heaviness of the moment. "I believe you."

As I hold her close, my mind is already racing, plotting how to keep my family safe.

One thing's for certain—her father's going to regret the day he ever laid a hand on Meghan.

The Raiders of Valhalla protect their own, and Meghan and Tindra?

They're my family, and no one fucks with them.

I hold Meghan close, feeling her warmth against my chest, her scent filling my senses.

It's been so long, yet she still fits perfectly in my arms.

My mind races, trying to process everything she's told me.

The pieces are falling into place, but there's still so much I need to know.

I breathe out, my emotions a tangled mess. "I have to ask. Why didn't you tell me sooner? I could have protected you both. I would have moved heaven and earth to keep you safe."

Meghan's voice trembles as she speaks, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I know, and the only reason I didn't tell you is because I thought it was for the best... that it would keep us safer."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut.

I clench my fists, battling the urge to hit something.

How could she think keeping me in the dark was the right choice?

I take a deep breath, trying to rein in my anger.

"You would have been safer with me, Meghan. You damn well know that." I lock eyes with her, my gaze intense.

I can see the guilt and regret written all over her face, but it doesn't ease the ache in my chest.

She bites her lip, a habit I remember from years ago when she was nervous. "Maybe so, but I can't go and change the past now. I'm here because I saw the error of my ways, and I'm trying to fix things..." Her voice drops to a whisper. "If you can forgive me."

The vulnerability in her tone tugs at something deep inside me.

I want to be angry, to lash out at her for the years we've lost.

But seeing her here, admitting her mistakes, willing to face the consequences... it's the Meghan I fell in love with all those years ago.

I run a hand over my face, feeling the rough stubble beneath my fingers. "Gods, Meghan. You should have trusted me. We could have faced this together. We could have been a family for years now."

My mind races, thinking of all the milestones I've missed with Tindra. Her first steps, her first words, her first day of school.

A lifetime of memories I can never get back.

I take a deep breath, steadying myself.

Meghan shakes her head, more tears spilling down her cheeks. "I fucked up, Tor. I fucked up bad," she chokes out, her usual tough exterior crumbling before my eyes.

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