From having her love just out of reach for so long.
“What if I lose her?” I ask. Scared of what their answer may be.
Logan gives me a rare, serious look. “Then you fight harder.”
And that is the thing.
I will.
Even if it means waiting.
Even if it means breaking first.
I’d fight for her.
Every damn time.
CHAPTERTWENTY-FOUR
RHYS
The house doesn’t feel like home without her.
It feels hollow.
Cold.
Like someone came in and ripped out the soul of the place while I wasn’t looking.
It’s been over a week since Ally left.
We didn’t even get to be together for long before she ran.
Seven mornings waking up to an empty bed, instinctively reaching for her, only to find cold sheets.
Seven nights of pretending I don’t hear the silence echoing in every corner of the house where her laughter used to live.
And every day since she’s been gone, I’ve felt a little less like myself.
I wake up angry. Go to sleep exhausted. Spend the in-between hours waiting for a text that never comes.
I keep expecting her to walk through the front door. To roll her eyes at me, call me dramatic, and throw herself onto the couch like she always does.
But she doesn’t.
She’s just… gone.
And I fucking hate it.
She’s been a part of my life for so long.
I miss my best friend.
I slam the fridge door shut harder than necessary. The thud reverberates through the kitchen like a gunshot. Yasmin flinches where she’s seated at the counter, her spoon pausing mid-air. Across from her, Chase leans against the wall, arms crossed, eyes narrowed.
“Rhys, you need to get your shit together,” he says flatly.
“I’m fine,” I snap.