Page 17 of You Found Me in the Dark
I sighed, “Wren, you wouldn’t be you if you didn’t find the light wherever you go. You gave him four years of your life, don’t give him a second more.”
Her chin wobbled, and she buried her face in her arms for a second. “God, Reed. I feel so stupid.”
“You’re not,” I said. “You’re human. And healing doesn’t mean you won’t bump into ghosts.”
“I’m glad you came,” she whispered.
“Me too.”
I looked at my bloodied knuckles. I wasn’t sure if it was my blood on my hand or Tyler’s, but fuck, I am glad I showed up when I did. I started my truck and headed back to Wren’s house.
By the time we pulled onto the street, the silence wasn’t awkward. It was comfortable. I turned the headlights off before we hit the driveway, easing the car into place because I didn’t want to wake the world or disrupt the quiet between us.
The engine ticked in the stillness. The air inside my truck was warm and full of tension.
Wren didn’t move. She was awake but clearly exhausted. Her elbow rested on where the window met the door, and her fist was holding up her head. She looked like she was ready to break.
I didn’t speak right away. I didn’t know how to, not with her looking like that. Eventually, I exhaled and leaned back against the headrest, eyes forward.
“You know,” I said slowly, “I used to think I hated Tyler because he was reckless and way too fucking old for you.”
She turned her head toward me but didn’t interrupt.
“I thought it was the way he talked to people. The way he made everything about him. The way he couldn’t even pretend to see the damage he caused.”
My bloodied knuckles flexed against the steering wheel.
“But tonight? I realized it’s because he didn’t see you.”
She shifted slightly, but I kept going.
“He wanted you. He had you. He treated you worse than shit, and he never saw you.”
I took a deep breath, and I didn’t dare look at her yet.
“I didn’t realize I saw you until it was already too late to pretend otherwise. I didn’t even feel it happening. Just little moments piling up. You laughing at something stupid Cam said. The way you treated that baby bird we found a few summers back. Standing in your kitchen barefoot with that awful green tea you like. Our kiss six years ago.”
Finally, letting go of the steering wheel, I turned to her.
“You were always right there. And I didn’t know what to do with that.”
Her lips parted, but no sound came.
“And then tonight…” My voice faltered for a second. “I saw you alone, with him, and something broke in me.”
She blinked, eyes glimmering.
“I wasn’t just mad. I was fucking terrified. That I was too late. That I’d let you drift somewhere I couldn’t reach.”
I looked down at my hands, then back at her. “But I found you in such a dark place.”
Her breath hitched.
“I found you, Wren.”
She stared at me, eyes wide and wet, looking like she’d forgotten how to breathe.
“I know you didn’t want to be saved,” I added, softer now. “And I’m not trying to be your rescue story or your hero. But I’m here. However, you need me. However, you’ll let me be.”
