Page 141 of Before Dawn

His gaze dropped. “I don’t know how.”

The admission was barely above a whisper.

“I don’t snap often,” he muttered, voice tight. “I don’t—I don’t lose it like that. But that day… it just happened.” He exhaled, his hands raking through his hair. “And I lost you.”

I reached up, cupping his cheek, urging him to look at me. “Then let me be your calm until you find it.”

His exhale was slow.

Dr. Green’s words resurfaced: “Healing isn’t about erasing the hard parts of yourself. It’s about learning to hold them with gentleness.”

I took a careful breath. “When you feel it building, don’t shut me out. Don’t let it fester until it explodes. Talk to me. Even if it’s hard. Even if you don’t have the words. Let me be the one you lean on the way I always lean on you.”

Mikkel’s jaw clenched. “I don’t want you to see me like that.”

I smiled—soft, knowing. “Mikkel, I already have.”

His breath hitched.

I let my hands settle over his chest, feeling the way his heart pounded beneath my palms. “You don’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to always be in control. But when it feels like too much, focus on something you love. Something that keeps you grounded.”

His stare held mine, unreadable. Then, slowly, he nodded. “I’ll do better. I promise, baby.”

A pause. Then, softer, “I swear it.”

Mikkel rested his forehead against mine, hesitation replaced by intent.

Then, after a long pause, he whispered,“Gracias por volver a mí.”

I swallowed hard, blinking up at him. “You’re gonna have to translate that, Mr. Suarez.”

A small, almost shy smile flickered across his lips. “Thank you for coming back to me.”

Emotion swelled in my chest. I kissed him again, slower this time.Softer.

When I pulled back, I whispered, “I couldn’t stay away.”

Mikkel cupped my face, his thumb tracing my cheek as if memorizing the feel of me choosing him.

Then, finally—his voice barely above a breath:

“I’ll never scare you like that again.”

I didn’t answer with words.

I stayed close enough to hear his unsteady breath, letting his promise sink in.

Chapter Thirty-three

Mikkel

“Love is not about how much you say ‘I love you,’ but how much you prove that it’s true.”

~ Unknown

Ihad never been the kind of man to let anger rule me—after all, it was the part of myself I hated most. Control was second nature. I knew how to hold my temper, keep my voice even, and make decisions without hesitation.

But that day, I slipped.

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