“I didn’t know what I was doing,” I admitted. “I just... needed to get out.”
Todd’s grip tightened slightly, his fingers warm but trembling faintly. His gaze locked onto mine, steady but filled with something I hadn’t seen before—vulnerability, maybe even desperation.
“You didn’t have to do it alone,” he said. “You’ve always had me, Michael. I’ve been here through everything. You know that, right?”
A heavy wave of guilt settled in my chest. What if I hadn’t left? What if I’d stayed in Cinderfield and leaned on Todd like I used to?
Would things have turned out differently? But then, another thought, sharper and more insistent, sliced through the fog.
Leaving had brought me to Griffin—someone who made me feel safe in a way I hadn’t in years.
“I’m sorry,” I said after a long pause, my voice thick. “I should’ve told you. Why I left, that I had been at Casey’s the entire time. I know that now. But it wasn’t just about running away. I think I needed that break, Todd. And honestly, I think it was good for me.”
I tried to pull my hand back, but Todd’s grip didn’t loosen. Instead, his fingers curled tighter, the tremor in his hand more noticeable now.
When I looked up, the mask he’d been wearing slipped, revealing something raw underneath.
“Come back here,” he said, his voice low and almost pleading. “We can handle this stalker together. You and me, like always. Just... come back.”
The rawness in his tone sent a chill down my spine. Todd, who had always been the steady one, the rock I leaned on, was starting to unravel.
His gaze never left mine, intense and unrelenting, and for the first time, I saw a side of him I hadn’t recognized before.
I blinked at him, unsure what to say. My throat tightened as I tried to form a response, my hand twitching beneath his grip.
“I—” I started, gently trying to pull my hand away again.
“Everything okay here?”
Griffin’s voice cut through the moment. His gaze swept over the table, lingering on our hands still entwined.
I shot up from my seat, yanking my hand back as naturally as I could. “Hey! Uh… how was parking?” The words tumbled out too brightly.
Griffin raised an eyebrow, his eyes flicking to Todd before he answered. “It was fine.”
Todd’s fingers curled into a loose fist against the table, his smile tight. He didn’t say a word, but the sudden tension between them was palpable.
“Sit,” I said quickly, pulling out the chair beside me for Griffin.
Griffin didn’t hesitate, but Todd didn’t acknowledge him—no words, no nod.
His cold, assessing gaze stayed locked on Griffin, unblinking. It was a side of Todd I wasn’t used to seeing.
Clearing my throat, I gestured awkwardly between them. “Griffin, this is Todd.”
“Nice to meet you.” Todd’s response was slow. He barely acknowledged Griffin before extending his hand, almost as an afterthought.
“Likewise,” Griffin said simply, shaking Todd’s hand firmly before letting go.
This was already going downhill.
I glanced at Griffin, silently pleading with him to behave, as though sheer willpower could turn my thoughts telepathic.
Be nice. Please, please be nice.
Griffin slid into the chair beside me, his arm resting lightly around my shoulder, giving it a quick squeeze.
“Are you okay?” Griffin asked, leaning in.
