Page 97 of Thor

Drawing a deep breath, I stepped inside, the familiar scent of cedar and leather washing over me like a homecoming I hadn't earned.

Inside the cabin, everything looked immaculate. Too immaculate. Thor's space was always neat, but this was different. It was even cleaner than when I’d been doing nothing but cleaning this place 24/7. The cushions on the couch were perfectly aligned. The kitchen counters gleamed like they'd been polished multiple times. Books stood in perfect rows on shelves, arranged by height. There were no empty bottles, no takeout containers, nothing to suggest Thor's breakdown except this unnatural tidiness, as if he'd been cleaning compulsively to avoid thinking about everything else.

I stood awkwardly just inside the door, painfully aware of Thor's careful distance as he closed it behind me. He didn't crowd me or touch me but moved past to lean against the kitchen counter, leaving the entire living room between us.

"You can sit," he offered, gesturing to the couch with one large hand.

I shook my head. Sitting felt too casual, too normal, when nothing about this situation was normal. "I'm okay standing."

The silence stretched between us, thick and uncomfortable. I searched for something to say, something safe to break the tension.

"Duke said you were looking for me," I finally managed, immediately wincing at my own words. Of course he had been looking for me. I'd disappeared without a trace after our confrontation in the park.

Thor's jaw tightened slightly. "Duke talks too much."

"He was worried about you."

"Yeah, I know. He told me plenty of times." Thor crossed his arms over his chest, his biceps straining against the fabric of his t-shirt.

Another silence fell. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, feeling like an unwelcome guest in a space that had once felt like a sanctuary.

"The cabin's secure now," Thor said abruptly.

I blinked, caught off guard by the sudden change in topic. "What?"

"Found evidence someone had been staking it out. Watching us." His voice was matter-of-fact, but I could see the anger simmering beneath his calm exterior. "Footprints. Cigarette butts. Signs of a long-term surveillance position in the trees to the south."

A chill ran through me. Someone had been watching us? Watching me when I was at my most vulnerable?

"It was the Serpents?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Thor shrugged one massive shoulder. "Well. It was someone who reported to the serpents. Could've been anyone. Cops. Rival clubs. Private investigator." His eyes locked with mine. "But yeah, that’s how the Serps got those pictures."

"But you fixed it?" I couldn't keep the fear from my voice. Thinking abou the photos made me feel violated all over again.

"Yeah." His tone softened slightly at the fear in my expression. "Changed the security system. Added more motion sensors. Swept the whole property. They won't be watching again."

I nodded, wrapping my arms around myself. "Thank you."

Thor pushed away from the counter but didn't come closer. He paced to the window instead, looking out at the trees as if searching for hidden watchers, though I knew he'd already eliminated that threat.

"You didn’t have to come back, you know. That’s not why I paid the bills.”

“I know. I just . . . wanted to say thank you.”

“Well. You’re welcome.”

I paused for a moment, the sadness welling up in me.

“That’s it?” I asked, tears pricking my eyes.

“That’s it.”

Silence bloomed. My heart pounded. Was this it?

“Okay. Well.” I stood up, walked to the door. “Goodbye, Thor.”

I turned my back on him.

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