“Scott shattered you, left you with the pieces. I see how tired you are. But this—" His grip finds my forearm, forcing it into the light. I try to jerk away but he holds firm, twisting my arm so I have to look.

Really look.

Track marks dot the crook of my elbow like a stamp of shame, purple-black bruises blooming around each point of entry. My stomach rolls at the sight. These are my choices mapped out in broken vessels and damaged skin.

Nick's eyes burn into me. "This isn't the answer. People need you here. People love you, Nate.”

People love you.

The words echo like a gunshot in an empty room.

"I love you. And I'm not letting you destroy yourself."

I can’t remember the last time someone told me they loved me and meant it. My knees hit hardwood, and tears I've been holding back for years finally break free. Nick's arms find me, wrapping around me like a shelter as I shake apart. For the first time since I watched Nora bleed out on that highway, I let someone else carry the weight of my broken pieces.

"You're not doing this alone anymore, Nate," he says softly. "We'll figure this out."

His words chip away at the wall I've spent years building—the same wall Nick has been patiently trying to scale since that first day in the bookstore, when he offered me a job instead of writing me off like everyone else.

"You deserved better," Nick continues, his voice heavy with the weight of all the times he's watched me struggle, all the times he's tried to be the father figure Scott never was.

"No kid should have to grow up the way you did. And just because someone is family doesn't mean you have to tolerate their lies and manipulation. You deserve more than that. You deserve a shot at a fresh start and a life that's entirely your own."

I can't meet his eyes, but his words hit home like they always do. Nick has this way of cutting through the bullshit, of seeing the scared kid beneath all the anger and self-destruction.

"You can't keep thinking about how you've hurt people or how you've let them down. It's about you now, Nate. You need to find a way to be happy. For you."

His hand clasps my shoulder, and something in his voice changes, becomes raw with memory.