~Jennie’s~

“You don’t have to flinch,” Reo barely says, like he’s afraid even it might push me away.

I freeze at the foot of the stairs, one hand still resting on the smooth rail. I hadn’t even realized I was flinching. But I was. I still am.

He’s standing near the couch with that same tired look in his eyes. Not the sharp Reo that storms into boardrooms or crushes a press interview with that cutting Irish fire. No. This one? This one looks like he hasn’t slept. This one looks like he’s holding back.

And for once, he actually is.

I stay silent.

Because I’ve heard it before. The...