I thanked Travis and Abby for dinner, and then I excused myself from the table, water glass in hand. Taking two stairs at a time, I rushed down the hall and pushed through the bedroom door, setting the glass on the dresser before crawling onto the mattress, curling into the fetal position.

No matter how much air I pulled into my lungs, it didn’t seem like enough. My heart was buzzing like a hummingbird in my chest, and my head was spinning. I begged myself to pull it together, but the harder I tried to fight the overwhelmed, panicked feeling, the worse it became.

“Falyn?” Taylor said, slowly opening the door. He was appalled at the sight of me, and he set the plate of leftovers on the dresser by the door. “Christ, you’re white as a sheet.” He sat next to me, taking my water and brushing my bangs from my face. “No wonder your parents didn’t want you coming here. Whatever you’re trying to do, you’re not ready for it.”

I shook my head.

“Take a drink,” Taylor said, helping me up and then reaching for the glass on the dresser. He placed it in my hands.

I took a sip. “I’m okay,” I said finally.

“No, goddamn it, you’re not okay. This isn’t okay.”

I took another drink and then blew out a breath. “Really. This is stupid. I’m fine.”

Taylor frowned. “In the beginning, I knew that if I let myself get too close, I was going to get burned. I’ll be damned if you’re not the one trying to keep me at arm’s length.”

“Maybe I’m the one saving you.”

He shook his head. “Quit trying to push me away, Falyn. I’m not leaving. I’m going to stay here until I’m on fire.”

“Stop,” I said simply. “You need to stop.”

His expression softened. “I can’t. I’ve never needed anyone until I met you.”

Our eyes met, but I had no words to offer. Taylor made me feel safe, the same feeling I imagined that Kirby felt when walking down a dark alley with Gunnar. It was the kind of safety you might feel with a superhero.

“I need you, too,” I whispered.

“I know,” he said, looking down.

“No. I don’t mean, I need your help. I mean, you.”

He looked up at me with hope in his eyes.

His protection didn’t make me weak. It just reminded me that I was valued. I wasn’t the worthless girl who lived in the reflection of my parents’ eyes. Taylor was a hero, but that didn’t mean he saw me as a victim. Someone who made you feel safe and strong at the same time could only be a good thing. That wasn’t something a girl like me could ignore.

He nodded toward the door. “What was that about? Downstairs.”