Page 29 of Light

She is soft and warm and trusting.

Too trusting.

She deserves better than a man who has built his life around not giving a shit about anyone.

And yet, here I am, holding her like she is mine to shield.

Slowly, her trembling eases, and she pulls back, wiping at her eyes.

"I should check on Tyler," she says, her voice shaky but stronger than before.

I tighten my hand around her wrist, stopping her.

"Let me," I offer. "You stay here. Take a minute."

She hesitates, but eventually nods.

"Okay," she whispers.

I brush a stray lock of hair from her face before turning and heading down the hall toward Tyler's room.

The door is cracked open, and when I step inside, I find him sitting up in bed, his blanket clutched to his chest.

His eyes are wide and glassy, his face blotchy from crying.

Fuck.

"Hey, buddy," I say, keeping my voice low and easy.

He sniffs, scrubbing a hand over his face.

"What happened?" he croaks.

I sit down on the edge of the bed, feeling the mattress dip under my weight.

"Some idiot was messing around outside," I tell him simply. "Scared your mom. But he is gone now. You are safe."

Tyler swallows hard, processing.

He does not push for more.

He just nods slowly, but I can still see the fear lingering in his too-old eyes.

A kid should not have to deal with this kind of shit.

Not at his age.

I reach over and pull the blanket up higher around him.

"Try to get some rest, okay?" I say.

He bites his lip, hesitating.

Then, in a small voice, he asks, "Light, are you ever scared?"

The question punches the breath right out of me.

I lean back a little, staring up at the ceiling like the answer might be written there.

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