Page 63 of Protect Thy Enemy

Her eyes search mine, filled with a clarity that feels like a gift and a curse all at once. “You’re stronger than her,” she says softly. “Stronger than all of them. Don’t forget that, Arden.”

I nod, my throat tight as I blink back the burn of tears.

Gran’s gaze drifts back to the garden, and the moment slips away as quickly as it came. Her features relax, her expression distant again, as though she’s forgotten I’m even there.

I stay with her a while longer, sitting in silence as the sun dips lower in the sky. But the nurse’s words linger, heavy and unrelenting.

Someone visited her. Someone who shouldn’t have.

And whoever it was, they left Gran worse than they found her.

***

I sense that something is off the moment I step out of the elevator. The tension surrounding the air is like a living thing. An intense and impossible stench to ignore. It pulls me forward, past the hallway’s soft lighting and muted beige walls, straight to the apartment door.

I hesitate, my hand resting on the doorknob, catching the faint sound of voices from inside. Not voices. A fight.

One voice is unmistakably Luna’s, edged with frustration, but the other? Tavia. And she’s pissed.

I push the door open slowly, stepping inside just as Tavia’s words cut through the room like a blade.

“Why are you lying to me, Luna?”

Quietly shutting the door behind me, I pause at the sight in front of me.

Luna stands by the kitchen counter, her arms crossed over her chest, her expression tight. Across from her, Tavia is pacing, her eyes blazing with anger.

“I’m not lying,” Luna snaps, her voice uncharacteristically cold.

“Then why the hell did I hear that you left a tavern halfway across town with some randomguy?” Tavia demands, her words landing like a slap.

I should give them privacy, move, dosomething,but I’m stuck. I’m frozen in place as my mind scrambles to piece together what I’ve just walked into.

“That’s not what happened, and you know it,” Luna shoots back, her voice rising. “I went home. Arden took me home.”

The mention of my name makes Tavia’s head whip toward me. Her dark eyes narrow, pinning me with a look of pure hatred.

“Well?” she demands. “Is that true?”

Luna’s gaze flicks to me, her eyes pleading silently to just answer and not pick a fight.

I take a steadying breath, stepping farther into the room. “It’s true. I brought Luna home that night. We were alone.”

Tavia lets out a harsh laugh, but there’s no humor in it. “How convenient. Covering for each other now?”

I feel my patience thinning, but I keep my voice calm. “I’m not covering for anyone. Luna drank too much, and I had to practically carry her to the door.”

The memory flashes in my mind, Luna leaning heavily against me, slurring something unintelligible as I tried to find either setof our keys. Getting her inside was one thing, but getting her undressed and her makeup off had been a whole other ordeal.

“She was in no condition to go anywhere with anyone,” I continue, my tone steady but firm. “So unless you think I’m lying too, maybe you should reconsider whatever rumor you’ve decided to believe.”

Tavia’s gaze sharpens, and for a moment, I can see the conflict in her eyes. She doesn’t trust me; she never has. But it’s not just mistrust. It’s darker, something way more personal.

“Of course you’d defend her,” Tavia says bitterly, her focus shifting back to Luna and dismissing my statement completely. “You’re always so damn good at playing the victim, aren’t you? But you’re just as messy as everyone else. You’re not perfect.”

Luna flinches, but her chin juts up defiantly. “Don’t you dare—”

“No, you don’t get to act innocent,” Tavia snaps, stepping closer. “You’re the one who can’t shut those legs. You’re the one who screws up every time someone tries to get close to you.”

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