Page 52 of Fierce Secrets

Even if it shattered something inside me that I'd never get back.

CHAPTER 19

MEREDITH

Istayed in the theater after Leo left, letting the familiar space hold my grief. A few minutes after, Roman appeared in the doorway, a silent guardian checking that I was still okay. The tears dried once Leo had left, leaving me hollow and exhausted. Roman only watched me for a few minutes before he disappeared, leaving me alone and empty inside.

Numb. I couldn't feel anything, it was like Leo had walked out with my emotions following him, taking a piece of me with him.

My phone rang yet again – Sofia's smiling face on the screen – and I finally answered.

"Mer?" Her voice was careful, worried. "Can we meet somewhere? Talk?"

I wiped my face with my sleeve, looking around the dusty theater that had once been my sanctuary. "I'll come back to yours."

"You sure? I know you're struggling to trust me right now."

"I am," I admitted. "But I need answers."

"I'll have coffee waiting," she promised. "And I swear, complete honesty from now on. Whatever you want to know."

"Thank you." The words felt inadequate for everything I was feeling.

Outside, Roman straightened from where he'd been leaning against his car. I managed a weak smile at him, and he gave me a soft, sympathetic one in return.

"Can you drive me to Sofia's?" I asked, hating how I had to sniffle to keep my nose from running.

He nodded, opening the passenger door. I paused at the door, needing to ask. "Where did Leo go?"

"Working on tracking down whoever's behind the blackmail." Roman's voice was gentle. "He also instructed me not to hide things from you anymore. No more secrets."

"Thank you, Roman." I slid into the passenger seat, the leather cool against my skin. As he rounded the car, I wrestled with the question burning in my throat.

"How..." I swallowed hard as he got in. "How did Leo seem?"

"How so?" He glanced at me before starting the engine. He leaned over to the glovebox, pulling out some napkins for me.

"Thanks," I mumbled as I accepted and blew my nose. "I think I hurt him. Or upset him." The words felt small in the quiet car.

Roman's hands flexed on the steering wheel. "Leo's good at masking those kinds of emotions. But..." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "He seemed very determined to handle this situation. More so than usual."

I pulled out my phone, opening up my messages with Leo.

What would I even say? 'Sorry I called you a monster, but also sorry I'm afraid of what you're capable of'? Everything felt tangled, messy. That nod – that silent agreement that he should let me go – had hurt me more than I'd expected. Like I'd cut away a piece of myself.

The image of him turning to leave haunted me. That final glance back, the defeat in his posture, the broken look inhis eyes – it was so at odds with the Leo I knew. The Leo who commanded rooms with his presence, who never showed weakness.

I'd done that to him. And I wasn't sure if it was the right choice after all.

My phone lit up again before I could come up with any kind of message. Gray's twentieth call. His smiling face on the screen, a photo from happier times, made my heart ache. This time, I answered.

"Mer, I'm so sorry." His words tumbled out, desperate and raw. "I'll be there in ten minutes. There's traffic backed up, and there was an accident?—"

"Gray." I cut him off, my voice thick with emotion that welled at the sound of his voice. "I'm still processing everything. I still love you – you're my brother, that won't change – but I need space right now."

"Where are you? Please, let me?—"

"Heading to Sofia's." I watched the city pass by through the window, buildings blurring as my eyes welled up. "Even though she's lied too..." Sure, she'd lied to me, but she hadn't done what they'd done.

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