Page 113 of Make Them Cry
“I need one promise,” I whisper.
“Name it.”
“When it gets ugly—and I know it will—don’t let me push you away to protect you.”
His answer is immediate. “You can try,” he says, and his smile is gentle, unmovable. “I won’t let go.”
I believe him. I think that might be the wildest part.
He’s quiet a beat, then: “River?”
“Mm?”
“I love you.”
The words don’t detonate. Instead, they bloom. Warmth unfurls through me like sunrise under my ribs. I don’t flinch. I don’t run. I’ve already arrived.
“Good,” I say, because truth deserves truth. “Because I love you, too.”
He exhales like he’s been underwater and finally found the surface. He kisses my hair, my temple, the corner of my mouth again like he’s learning the cartography of yes. We tuck into each other until the line between us feels hypothetical, not actual.
“Tomorrow we hunt,” he murmurs against my skin. “We sharpen the knives. We tagged Helena. Now, we bring Psalm88 into the sun.”
“Bossy,” I mumble, smiling.
“Trained by the best,” he returns, and I feel the grin against my cheek.
Sleep comes like a tide, and for once there’s no undertow. No doors left unlocked. No shadows in the corners. Just the steady thrum of his heart under my ear and the certainty—bone-deep and bright—that when morning comes, we’ll face it together.
No masks. Only us.
THIRTY-EIGHT
GAGE
River’s body is curled against mine, her skin warm and soft under the covers. The light from the window is just starting to break through the curtains. I want to stay like this—want to press pause on everything outside this room. Just her. Me. And the steady rhythm of her breath against my chest.
She said I love you last night, and my mind is rapidly thinking about our future.
My phone vibrates on the nightstand breaking me from my thoughts. Then again. And again.
I groan softly and reach for it, squinting at the screen.
58 unread messages.
What the hell?
The first one is from Arrow.
Did you see this?
There’s a link. My gut clenches. I steel myself, expecting another deepfake. Another nightmare someone at Cathedral has cooked up to ruin River’s life.
But this is worse.
Way worse.
“Three Found Dead in River Following NovaPlay Party,”the headline reads.
