And with Margot in danger, patience feels like a weakness I can’t afford. I need answers. I need action. I need this threat gone.
She can sense it. I know she can.
She tried talking to me for the first ten minutes. She got one-word answers at best. Eventually she gave up, and we fell into silence.
I hate that I’m doing this to her. That I’m shutting down. But I don’t know how to turn the emotions off.
When we get home, we head upstairs.
“I’m going to take a shower,” I tell her. “Need to rinse off the day.”
She’s quiet for a second.
“Do you want to talk?” she asks, barely above a whisper.
“No, sweetheart.”
I walk into the bathroom and close the door behind me.
I feel dirty.
Not from sweat or grime, but from worry.
The kind that sticks to your skin.
Because I still don’t know what’s coming for Margot.
And that makes me feel helpless.
Chapter 55
Margot
I can feel the anxiety emanating off Matty. It’s heavy. Thick in the air between us.
I know it’s because of me. Because of my safety. And I feel awful about the position I’ve put him in.
He gave me such a beautiful day. He doesn’t even realize what a gift it was, being around his family. Evelyn’s hug? That little moment of softness? It felt like a weight I didn’t know I was carrying had been lifted.
I’m happy for my mom, getting to travel. She deserves it. But I miss being someone’s daughter. Only a few more months until she and my dad come back. Unless they extend their trip again.
Matty doesn’t realize it but today healed something in me.
And I want to return the favor.
He’s always there for me, keeping me grounded. Holding me steady when I start to fall apart.
He’s been holding the weight of everything for me, and now he’s unraveling in silence.
He held me when I fell apart. Now it’s my turn.
Chapter 56
Matthias
The shower door opening jolts me out of my thoughts. I didn’t even hear Margot enter the bathroom.
Margot steps into the steam, completely naked.
