ZACH’S POV

She looked between Lily and James, then back at me, clearly torn. “But what about you two? I can’t leave you alone…”

Lily waved her off. “We’ll be fine, sweetheart. We’ve been through worse. Besides, if anything happens, we know how to handle ourselves.” Her voice softened. “Right now, you need to focus on Ella. That little girl has been through enough, and she needs you to be strong for her.”

Malia hesitated for a moment longer, then let out a defeated sigh. “Okay,” she said quietly. “We’ll stay at Zach’s tonight.”

I felt a wave of relief wash over me. “Good. Let’s not take any chances.”

James...