Page 151 of Hidden Echoes

“You mean my husband?” I raise an eyebrow, the teasing tone evident. Seth rolls his eyes, clearly not impressed.

“You can’t kill him,” I huff, giving him a look that says it all. “I know that look, Seth. You haven’t changed. You’d hunt him down the second I turned my back.”

He doesn’t deny it. Instead, he just looks at me, a knowing expression on his face. I smile, feeling the weight of years of distance, yet realizing he’s still the same.

“Are you talking to Audrey?” I ask, and his face falls.

“How do you know Audrey?”

“We met when I was in Los Angeles. She thought I was you when I almost stabbed a guy.”

“My girl,” Seth says again, pulling me into a hug, and I feel that familiar knot in my chest. He’s never been one for hugs, always keeping people at arm’s length. But now, something’s different. He’s still the same, but there’s a change—he’s letting me in, just a little. It’s strange, but I’m happy for him.

“I promised her I’d spank your ass for hurting her,” I say, teasing. “I didn’t know it was you at the time, but I’m still tempted to follow through.”

“I don’t want to talk about Audrey.”

“I thought her father killed you. Nico would go ballistic if he knew you got involved with a Ross of all people.”

“I owe Nico no loyalty,” he says, the words coming out firmer than I expect.

My eyes narrow. “I know that, but it’s complicated. Maybe if you brought Audrey—”

“Mia, drop it.” Seth’s voice is flat, almost bored.

I squint at him. “So, what, I can’t even text Audrey anymore?”

He exhales slowly, like this conversation is a waste of his time. “No, you can’t.”

I stare at him, waiting for some kind of explanation, but he just looks back, blank and unbothered.

“That’s insane,” I scoff. “You don’t own her.”

Seth chuckles—low, humorless. “You think that matters?” His head tilts slightly, eyes assessing me like I’m something pathetic. “You don’t get it, Mia. You never do. You flutter around like nothing has consequences, but that’s not how it works.”

I cross my arms. “Audrey can make her own decisions.”

“She did,” he says, voice light, indifferent. “And she chose me.”

There’s something chilling about the way he says it, like it’s final, like it’s law. My stomach twists.

“That doesn’t mean I can’t talk to her.”

He lets out a small sigh, rubbing his temple. “You’re exhausting.” His gaze flicks back to me, bored again. “No texts. No calls. No little check-ins. I don’t like people hovering around what’s mine.”

I bristle. “She’s not a thing, Seth.”

He shrugs. “Is there a point in this conversation?”

My hands tighten into fists. “You can’t just cut people off from the people they care about.”

His voice is casual, unbothered. “This conversation is over.”

My chest tightens. “So that’s it? You’re just walking away?”

“Yeah,” he says, turning without a second glance. “I am.”

Seth turns his back to me without another word, his footsteps steady, unhurried. Like he’s already erased this conversation from his mind, like I was never even part of the equation.

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