Page 36 of Brazen Being It

“You’re not pretending. You’re surviving. And surviving here? That’s as real as it gets. You’re an ol’ lady. You matter, Cambria.”

I nod, wiping my eyes on the back of my wrist. When has anyone told me I matter?

Not my mother.

Not a single teacher in school.

Not Frankie.

No one.

It’s strange how right it feels to be here. Even with the dirt, the violence, the scars that everyone wears like patches of their own. It’s not a fairytale. It’s not clean or kind or easy.

But it’s honest.

And I’ll take honest over fairy dust any day.

Tonight, I’ll wear the black dress Little Foot picked out. I’ll stand beside him with a drink in my hand and a smile on my lips. I’ll be his. Not just in name, not just in story—but in truth. Our truth. Our connection.

Even if the past tries to find me.

Even if the lie we told at the start comes back around.

I’m not running this time.

I’ve got something to fight for now.

And I’ll fight to keep it.

The party starts just after sunset.

The compound lights up like a small town—lanterns strung from trees, bonfires kicking up sparks, grills blazing with slabs of meat that sizzle and spit as the smoke curls into the sky. There’s music, loud and gritty, pulsing through the yard like a heartbeat.

I stand just inside the edge of it all, drink in hand, watching.

Little Foot is standing with Rex and a few of the other officers. He’s laughing, easy and open, all night. When he’s near me, one hand resting on the small of my back every time he shifts. That small gesture—it’s nothing to anyone else, but it anchors me. Tells me I’m not just here by chance. I’m not just part of the background.

I’m his.

And he wants everyone to know it.

Toon spots me and wanders over with a bottle of whiskey and a lopsided grin.

“You clean up nice,” he says, tipping the bottle toward my dress.

He raises his eyebrows, then leans in close. “You know, people were watching at first. Wondering how long you’d last. Lotta bets being placed.”

“Oh yeah?” I ask, lifting my drink.

He nods. “But most of ‘em? They’re saying you’re gonna outlast half the club now.”

I snort. “That’s not a compliment.”

“It is around here.”

I sip my drink and let the music roll over me. For the first time since I got on the back of that bike, I let my guard down. Just a little. Just enough to breathe. But breathing doesn’t last long. Not in this world. Not when your past is a shadow with teeth It happens fast—too fast for anyone to catch right away.

A black SUV rolls through the gate.

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