Wrong person 42

I scroll aimlessly through my phone, the light of the screen washing my face pale in the dark. 

Notifications, texts, dumb beadlines, 

Maching important 

Nothing real 

I glance sideway. 

And step 

Penny is curled up on the fe end of the couch, knees tucked tight to her chest, her dare relaxed in sleep. 

The blanket I threw over her is half falling off, her bare legs afetched out next to me, smonth and pale in the dim light from the TV. 

She lasted maybe two minutes after starting the movie. 

Typical 

And somehow — somehow 

the’s even more beautiful like this. 

Soft, unguarded 

Fragile in a way she never shows when she’s awake, laughing and joking and milling her eyes at the world 

1 drap hand down my face, forcing myself to look away. 

Her bare legs brush lightly against my thigh every time she shifts, and it’s goddamn corture. 

I’d rather be back overseas, adrenaline spiking and bullets flying, than sitting here trying to be a goddamn mank while she curled up next to me wear nothing but my clothes 

My hand twitches, hovering for a 

a second 

some deep, reckless part of me wanting to reach out and brush a strand of hair from her forehead. 

trace the soft curve of her check, 

shove it down. 

Hard 

Another crack of thunder shakes the house. 

And Penny bolts upright with a gasp 

wild, dissipated 

She scrambles backward, hands clawing at the coach, looking for something sold to grab onto 

The lights are off I’d killed the cater to make it easier to watch the TV and in the sadden pitch black, she panies bander. 

in forward fast, teaching for het, 

“Hey,” I say sharply Penny. It’s mor 

Chapter 42: Asher 

But she don’t hear ne. 

Or doem‘ registr 

She lets out a small, broken scream, failing blindly, pushing at my chest like I’m just another shadow trying in het ber 

Fuck, I mutter, catching her waists to keep her fam hurting henc 

Her whole body is trembling – 

not just shivering from cold, but shaking in that deep, 

my that h 

has nothing to do with the weather and everything to do with fear. 

What the hell happened to 

to herz 

Who hurt her bad enough to leave this kind of scar? 

My phone buzes against the couch cushion 

Dad testing 

kay down there? 

Everything okay 

I thumb back a quick reply with one hand, still holding Penny steady with the other. 

Yeah. Penny got scared by the thunder. Handling it. 

Because what else can I say? 

How do you explain the way her panic is choking the air out of the room? 

How do you explain the way it cuts you in half to see 

I shift, pulling her gently toward me, 

it? 

She’s still fighting, small fists pushing weakly at my chest, tears wetting her cheeks. 

I drag her carefully onto my lap, 

my lap, settling her with her back against my chest, her legs curled sideways across my thighs. 

And then slowly – I start breathing. 

Deep. 

slow breaths 

Out 

Deliberate 

Grounding 

After a few minutes, I feel her start to mirror it without realising – 

her ribcage expanding against mine, her gasps slowing 

She stops struggling. 

the one that a not good for her, the In 

Chapter 42: Asher 

Just slumps against me, spr 

I hold her tighter, the arm around he wants, the other faced against the back of the couch. 

She feels so all like this.” 

So impossibly soft. 

Every part of me every rough, broken, handened pari – screams to protect her. And this other side of me, trying to keep away, wants to destroy her. 

1 dip my head closer to heus, lovering my voice in a tumble. 

“You okay?” 

She nods, the motion small and jerky. 

I don’t push for more. 

I shift, lifting her carefully, and settle her back down on the couch next to me. 

She wipes at her face with the sleeve of my shirt, looking embarassed. 

I don’t say anything 

I don’t look away either. 

“What was that I ask quietly- 

She pulls the blanket up higher around herself. 

“Sometimes I get.. nightmares,” she says finally, voice so soft I almost miss it. “I don’t know why. They hot… happen.” 

I nod once, taking it in. 

Not asking for more. 

Not tonight. 

Maybe not ever–unless she wants to tell me 

I put my thigh lightly. 

“Come here. Go back to sleep.” 

She hesitates. 

can see the war in her eyes trust, fear, stubborn independence. 

But finally, she scouts over 

She curls up 

carefully, laying her head on my thigh, one arm tacked under her. 

My hands free fut a second. 

Then I grab the blanket and drape in over he, tucking it gently and her shoulders. 

She shilts, sighs, rel 

Chapter 42: Asher 

I hover debating, battling before I give in and let my hand skim lightly over het hala, 

Soft. 

Way softer than it should be. 

Like touching span silk. 

– 

Tense to see if she flinches 

She doesn’t. 

So I keep going – 

threading my fingers slowly through the damp strands, letting the feeling anchor me to this moment, this impossible girl 

Outside, the storm rages on 

But inside, in this tiny circle of warmth and breath and steady heartbeats 

She sleeps.