"Logan." Knox's voice cuts through my thoughts. "We should talk perimeter."
I nod, grateful for the distraction. Follow him to the security station where monitors flicker with feeds from around the compound.
But even as we discuss sight lines and blind spots, my mind drifts back to her.
To the way she looked at me when she said "always."
To the weight of her trust.
To the warmth of her in my arms, solid and real andalive.
And I wonder...
Is this how it feels?
When the walls you've built start to crumble?
When the fortress becomes a home?
When protection becomes something more?
The night deepens. Plans solidify. Team members drift to their quarters for rest, knowing tomorrow brings new challenges.
But something has shifted.
Something fundamental.
We're not just individuals anymore, each carrying our own burdens.
We're a unit.
A family.
Forged in fire and strengthened by truth.
And whatever comes next...
We face it together.
I watch as Sloane gathers her papers, exhaustion finally catching up to her. She sways slightly on her feet, and without thinking, I steady her with a hand at her elbow.
She looks up at me, eyes heavy with fatigue but bright with something else. Something that makes my chest ache.
"Thank you," she says softly. "For letting me tell them."
"Thank you for trusting us," I reply.
A small smile curves her lips. "Turns out trust isn't so scary after all."
The words hit harder than they should. Because she's right.
Trust isn't just about letting people in.
It's about letting yourself be seen.
And maybe...
Maybe that's what we both needed all along.
